PRIMER OF 
CHER TRAINING 



ARLO AYRES BROWN 




Class 
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COPYRIGHT DEPOSITS 



PRIMER OF 
TEACHER TRAINING 



BY 

ARLO AYRES BROWN 



Outline approved by the Committee on Curriculum 
of the Board of Sunday Schools 

HENRY H. MEYER 
EDITOR 




THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN 

NEW YORK CINCINNATI 









Copyright, 1916, by 
ARLO AYRES BROWN 




The Bible text used in this book is taken from the American 
Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright, 1901, by Thomas 
Nelson & Sons, and is used by permission. 



CLA433871 



TO 
FATHER AND MOTHER 
MY BEST TEACHERS 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

Foreword to the Teachers of this 

Course 7 

Why Study to Teach? 11 

I. Making a Life 13 

II. The Necessary Investment 23 

III. The Unfolding Life 32 

IV. Religion and Everyday Life 47 

V. The Word of Life 56 

VI. The Nurture of Life 67 

VII. The Power of Personal Influence. 78 

VIII . Imparting New Ideas 89 

IX. Expression as a Means of Growth. 104 

X. The Recognition of Natural 

Groups 116 

XL Lessons for Age Groups 130 

XII. The Church and the Sunday 

School 144 

XIII. The Challenge of a Great Task. 158 



FOREWORD TO THE TEACHERS 
OF THIS COURSE 

You are standing "in Christ's stead," 
for he was preeminently a teacher of 
teachers. He had a very brief oppor- 
tunity; he knew that he could not go far 
if he tried to reach multitudes, so he 
chose to mingle with multitudes but to 
train only a few. And the success of his 
plan is the wonder of the world. This 
course of lessons for you and your class 
is a rare opportunity for comradeship with 
Jesus Christ. There is no law of teaching 
which may not be observed in his teach- 
ing of the twelve. Lead your pupils to 
feel that they are studying him and his 
methods. Encourage them to seek for 
illustrations from his own practice for 
every principle set forth, and if tempted 
to feel discouraged in the face of such 
skill, to remember, "Lo, I am with you 
alway, even unto the end of the world." 

This course is a study of life, which 

7 



FOREWORD 

means a study of lives. Too often in such 
a course people seem to study a textbook 
instead of life itself, but a textbook is of 
value merely as a guide to observation 
and in the interpretation of facts observed. 
One can memorize the pages of a text- 
book, and not be any more efficient at the 
end than at the beginning. Books and 
lessons are of value primarily as they 
stimulate the student to think and com- 
pare what he reads and hears with his 
own experience. 

All of which means that in the follow- 
ing lessons you are to study primarily the 
lives which come within your experience, 
using those which the author may set 
forth simply as illustrative of the things 
which your students can see by looking 
around them. 

Always begin with prayer and Bible 
reading. 

The assignment of the next lesson may 
be made either immediately after the 
devotional period or at the close of the 
lesson hour. The author prefers an assign- 
ment at the beginning, so that everything 
which follows may deepen the impression 

8 



FOREWORD 

desired as a result of the lesson for the 
day. However, equally good reasons make 
other teachers prefer the later time for 
assignment. 

It is well to have some special assign- 
ment each week for two or three of the 
students. This special work will not come 
to any one often enough to be burden- 
some, and it assures the teacher of at 
least a few who will take part, as well 
as providing variety and often interesting 
side lights for the class. The assignment 
may be of material in the textbook or 
outside. The more outside reading done 
by the class the better. 

The hope of the author is that this 

course may give to many a glimpse of 

the Sunday school opportunity and the 

means by which the opportunity may be 

realized to its highest possibilities. The 

course is purposely introductory and un- 

technical. May it mark the beginning of 

a life long study of the problems of human 

nature ! 

Arlo Ayres Brown. 

Evanston, Illinois. 



WHY STUDY TO TEACH? 

The best kind of teachers are "born teach- 
ers/' Their birthright manifests itself in a 
natural interest in and love for children 
and young people. They possess native 
ability and aptitude for imparting instruc- 
tion and for stimulating and guiding those 
who are younger and less experienced in 
their struggle for knowledge and for self- 
improvement. 

But born teachers, like gifted artists, as a 
rule put forth great effort to improve by 
means of hard study and special training 
whatever talent they possess. Native 
ability makes skill in teaching possible. 
Knowledge and training added to natural 
endowment make such skill an actual and 
a dependable personal possession. 

For the teacher of religion special prep- 
aration is of the utmost importance. The 
fundamental principles upon which the proc- 
ess of Christian nurture should proceed are 
not many; nor are they difficult of compre- 
hension. But each principle is capable of 

11 



WHY STUDY TO TEACH ? 

infinite development and manifold applica- 
tion and leads into ever widening fields of 
profitable study and equipment for service. 

This little volume states briefly and in 
simple language some of the principles the 
more complete mastery of which constitutes 
the task of teacher training. It is called a 
Primer because to the beginner, the teacher 
without previous training, it offers an easy 
introduction to the subject matter of other 
textbooks, while to the trained teacher it 
presents a new concise statement of truths 
already familiar. It is intended to awaken 
interest in further study and/ to inspire 
enthusiasm for the task and /he opportu- 
nity set before the Christian t(eacher in the 
Sunday school. 

Henry H. Meyer. 

New York City, June 1, 1916, 



12 



CHAPTER I 
MAKING A LIFE 

Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I 
say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that came 
before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not 
hear them. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, 
he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find 
pasture. The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and 
kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may 
have it abundantly. — John 10. 7-10. 

"Mother, can a king do anything that 
he wants to do?" 

'Yes, Donald, I suppose so." 

"Well, mother, I'm going to be a king 
then." 

He was only five years old, but he 
was trying to solve the mystery of his 
own life, what it was for, what he could 
do with it. Moreover, he unconsciously 
hit upon the main achievement in life — 
self-mastery. A little later he might have 
felt that the things to envy in a king were 
his horses and splendor, but this time his 
childish instinct guided him to the biggest 

13 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

thing in a real king — ability to command 
himself and others. 

The interesting fact about Donald's de- 
cision is that he is right. According to his 
definition, he can be a king. When he 
becomes such he will care very little for 
the things which at five he counted the 
most worth doing. But he will be less 
than he might have been if he is not able 
to do by hard work very nearly the things 
that he wants to do. 

And Donald's name is legion. He is 
in your home, in your Sunday school 
class. Whether boy or girl, each child 
is thinking these thoughts and planning 
to be something like a king in the future. 
He can do it with proper help. It is the 
business of his parents and teachers to 
see that he does do it. How can his ideals 
be made kingly? How can we help him 
to achieve them? These are the problems 
of this book. 

There is nothing so great in God's world 
as life. The Son of God when here on earth 
talked about it continually: "I came that 
they may have life, and may have it abund- 
antly" (John 10. 10). 'Tor God so loved 

14 



MAKING A LIFE 

the world, that he gave his only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth on him should 
not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3. 
16). His teaching was all about how to 
live. He said nothing about preparing to 
die, though he did speak of activities in an- 
other world after this brief span of years 
is finished. As Christians we have but one 
task to perform — to carry out his program 
by making life great for ourselves and for 
as many others as we can reach. 

What constitutes great living according 
to Christ's standards? Evidently, not the 
accumulation of property heaped up in 
barns, banks, or storehouses, for the man 
who thought this was called a fool. Evi- 
dently, not simply the refraining from 
evil as set forth in the Ten Commandments, 
for a young man who had done this went 
from his presence sorrowful because he 
lacked one thing and was unwilling to 
make it up. 

According to Jesus, the great are those 
who have something to give, and who 
give it joyfully (Matt. 25. 31-46; 10. 39). 
Do you agree with him? Who are the 
greatest men and women in the world 

15 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

to-day, those who are leaders not by 
accident, but by popular acclaim, who 
stand highest in the affections of the 
people? Why are they so highly esteemed? 
In your own home who does the most 
good with his life? Who seems to enjoy 
life best? Who is most loved? You can 
apply the same test to the leading men 
and women of your community, to your 
school acquaintances, to your social circle. 
There is a common mark which distin- 
guishes those who live most completely. 
It is the mark of service. They give 
liberally, and great gifts in joy, affection, 
achievement, come back to them. If the 
facts warrant this conclusion, then the 
making of a king means the growing of 
a life that will have much to give and 
will use its resources for the good of others 
continually. 

How can such a life be produced? Not 
by accident, that is sure. By miracle? 
Not if by miracles we mean something 
contrary to God's laws. But the Almighty 
has given laws by which it can be done. 
He has implanted capacities to be de- 
veloped by careful nurture and he has 

16 



MAKING A LIFE 

promised divine aid in this nurture, but 
lie has also insisted that every man take 
his one, two, or five talents, and double 
them. 

Three things are necessary for the nur- 
ture of an abundant life. Avoiding tech- 
nical terms, they are, desire or motive, 
resources, and skill; and these three must 
be developed together. Time was when 
people thought that these could be de- 
veloped one at a time, that life was made 
up of separate compartments (feeling, in- 
tellect, and will) in which one could work 
independently, and then put the whole 
together. Now we know that there is 
no proper building up of the intellect 
without a motive for study, and that an 
idea does not have its full value until it 
has been used somehow. 

In producing a religious life the same 
laws are in force. The Christian motive 
is absolutely necessary for the develop- 
ment of a Christian. This motive may 
be the result of careful training in a child 
who has never known anything but desire 
to please his heavenly Father, or it may 
come through some startling awakening, or 

17 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

it may come after skill in serving others 
has led a man through Christian associa- 
tions to seek Jesus Christ as the supreme 
inspiration for such service. Rut however 
the motive may arise, it must be cul- 
tivated until it is the compelling passion 
of the life. 

If the abundant life is a life lived for 
others, in the nature of the case this in- 
volves knowing what others need and 
having skill in meeting their need. Test 
this by your own observations. What are 
some of the tasks to be performed by 
Christians to-day in the home, in the 
church, for the community at large? De- 
scribe the resources which you think one 
ought to have for the successful perform- 
ance of these tasks. What is your church 
doing to develop these resources? What 
opportunities is your church offering for 
the development of this skill on the part 
of its members? 

Jesus took twelve men, and prepared 
them for real living. How? By careful 
training. It was not difficult for him to 
bind them to him by ties of deepest affec- 
tion. They were willing to die for him, 

18 



MAKING A LIFE 

even though they could not understand 
him. But he made it his business to see 
that they did understand him. His methods 
as teacher illustrate the most modern 
principles of education. He taught by 
several senses instead of one. They heard 
him, they saw him, they were sent out to 
practice doing their future tasks. 

If any man could have developed work- 
ers overnight, certainly our Lord could 
have done so, but he labored patiently, 
incessantly until his brief public ministry 
was brought to a close. Then one of the 
outstanding wonders of history occurred. 
These plain fishermen whom he had trained 
became the successful leaders of a world 
movement. 

It is not irreverent to say that most of 
our healthy boys and girls start with as 
good a natural equipment as Peter and 
John. Shall we train them with divine 
aid to carry on the work begun by these 
disciples, and the multitude of faithful 
workers who have followed them? We 
can do it if we will, and next to the home, 
the Sunday school is our greatest oppor- 
tunity. 

19 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

Turn back in thought to the boy or girl 
in your class. What is your ideal for him? 
He never can make a king unaided. Nor 
can he be guided successfully into anything 
contrary to the laws of his being. Are 
you studying those laws? Do you know 
what his instincts are? What senses are 
the most acute? What interests are the 
most lively? These are the things which 
God has put into your hands to cultivate. 
Did your lesson last Sunday interest him? 
Why do you think so? What was actually 
added to his fund of knowledge? To his 
purpose? So far as you know what did 
he do with last Sunday's lesson when 
Monday came? Did it become a part 
of his conduct? 

You may be responsible for just one 
year of his growth. Have you an ideal 
of achievement for that short period? In 
what respects do you expect him to be 
stronger a year from now than he is to- 
day? How do you expect to bring this 
about? What handicaps must you over- 
come? What aids can you count on? 

When Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my 
lambs/ 5 he was asking Peter to take up 

20 



MAKING A LIFE 

the work which he, the Good Shepherd, 
was compelled to lay aside. We have 
the same commission. Let us study care- 
fully during the coming weeks the laws 
of life so that we can bring our pupils to 
an abundant inheritance of power and 
blessing. 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What chance is there for the pupils in 
my class to become "kings"? 

To what extent am I responsible for this 
"king" making? 

What other agencies can I count upon 
for cooperation? 

What have I actually contributed to 
each life thus far? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. The task of a teacher — "making a 
life/' 
II. The ideal of Jesus — "an abundant 
^ life." 

III. The method of Jesus — nurture (or 

training) . 

IV. Our responsibility. 

21 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Graded Sunday School in Principle 

and Practice — Meyer. 
The Church School — Athearn. 
The Spiritual Life — Coe. 
The Natural Way— Du Bois. 
The Making of Character — MacCunn. 



22 



CHAPTER II 
THE NECESSARY INVESTMENT 

But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand 
to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 
— Luke 9. 62. 

Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after 
me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to 
build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, 
whether he have wherewith to complete it? Lest haply, 
when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, 
all that behold begin to mock him, saying, This man began 
to build, and was not able to finish. — Luke Ik- 27-30. 

In the training quarters of a prominent 
college a few years ago these words were 
painted in big letters where all could see: 
"No Quitters Allowed Here." They should 
be on the walls of every Sunday school 
room, or, better still, engraved upon the 
heart of every teacher. No training camp 
can afford to have a quitter, much less a 
school which is training lives for Chris- 
tian service; and yet the most common 
weakness in Sunday school teachers is a 
lack of fidelity to the task. With some 
the thought seems to be, "This is volunteer 
labor, and therefore can be carelessly done." 

23 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

It should be, "This is love's labor, and 
therefore must be faithfully done." 

There is no task worth while which does 
not call for a heroic investment of talents. 
During the week you are in business. 
Are you free to come and go as you please? 
Can you drop everything and take a 
holiday whenever the notion strikes you? 
Can you play games at any hour of the 
day? You are a stenographer, or a pro- 
fessional man, or a mother, or in some 
other occupation. Do you find that you 
have more talent and more time than you 
need for your task, or do you wish you 
could put double your present resources 
into it? But you are responsible for the 
resources which you put into it. A worker 
is not faithful who merely gives to his 
task the best that he has to-day with no 
thought of to-morrow. It is his business 
to give better service to-morrow than to- 
day, to develop his talents for his work. 

Jesus Christ asks neither more nor less 
in the definite tasks which he requires 
to have done. It is not enough for a 
teacher to say, "Well, I do not know any- 
thing about teaching, but I will do the 

24 



THE NECESSARY INVESTMENT 

best I can/' and then go ahead year after 
year without any conscious effort to im- 
prove. If he said the same thing about 
music and promised to do his best, he 
would soon be practicing diligently, and 
while the progress might be slow, he would 
bring more talent to his work at the end 
of the year than he had at the beginning. 

"I would give a hundred dollars if I 
could play the piano like you," said one 
friend, intending to compliment another. 

"Umph," I should think you would," 
came the answer. "It cost me a cool 
thousand, to say nothing of the work." 

We were talking about opportunities for 
Christian service one day. The young 
lady was just out of her teens and active 
in various forms of local church work. 
She wanted to give all of her time to 
Christian service, either as missionary, 
settlement worker, or in the Y. W. C. A., 
she did not care which. But in the course 
of the conversation it became evident that 
her preparation was inadequate, so the fol- 
lowing remark was made: "The fact is 
that the world needs to-day the service 
which you are offering to it more than 

25 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

ever before. But the trouble is that the 
work is so difficult and requires such a 
high degree of preparation if it is to be 
satisfactorily done. I do not know any- 
thing which calls for more skill and better 
preparation than the tasks which we are 
discussing." 

She looked up in blank astonishment. 
"O, I supposed that anybody could do 
those things." Then her face flushed and 
she said, "Of course I ought to have 
known better if I had thought, but I never 
thought." 

There are plenty of people who still 
believe that "anybody" can do the task 
of training immortal lives whether they 
have ever given it a moment's study or 
not. The Almighty has given to most 
of us talents with which we could do it 
successfully, but it is our task to develop 
them so that they become increasingly 
effective. 

The question is largely one of invest- 
ment. Most people know that they can- 
not get something for nothing in the 
business world. But in the religious world 
we often invest nothing but good inten- 

26 



THE NECESSARY INVESTMENT 

tions, and expect skill to come as a free 
gift. Perhaps God could give skill to 
people who do not develop their talents 
if he wanted to, but it evidently is against 
his nature to do so. He will give help 
generously to all who try to do his work 
faithfully, but expects that such workers 
invest their best. 

Most of the effective workers whom one 
meets are not people whose ability came 
naturally. They are just average people 
who have given special attention to their 
work and developed their talents for it. 
It will surprise many to know how near 
to their door success may lie if they will 
devote themselves to a study of their 
problem. If you wished to become a 
doctor, or lawyer, or public school teacher, 
how would you proceed? If you wish to 
become a Sunday school superintendent or 
teacher, or some other officer in the church, 
or a social worker, you will need to follow 
similar plans. To be sure, you may not 
be able to afford as much time for one as 
for the other, but you must invest some, 
or else it would be better to give up your 
ambition. The question is, How will you 

27 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

invest your time? How can you invest 
one, two, or more hours a week more 
profitably than in the effort to improve 
your ability in Christian work? 

Jesus never spoke very much about re- 
wards as such and yet he did not refuse 
to discuss the question when he saw there 
was need. One of the most illuminating 
instances of this is where the young man 
whom Jesus loved turned away sorrowful 
because he had great possessions, and Peter 
asked, "Lo, we have left all, and followed 
thee; what then shall we have?" (Matt. 
19. 27.) Jesus answered him frankly with 
the promise of large reward but followed 
with a parable of warning against working 
for the sake of reward and closed with 
these words, "So the last shall be first, 
and the first last" (Matt. 20. 16). 

Every worker knows that his greatest 
joy is the consciousness of work well done, 
and that an eye fixed on rewards will 
mar the work. At the same time great 
rewards do come, aside from the com- 
pletion of the task, and men have a right 
to enjoy them. We give medals to those 
who save lives from fire or other perils, 

28 



THE NECESSARY INVESTMENT 

and there must be joy in every heart 
which feels that some one is living because 
of his effort. But there is surely a deeper 
joy in knowing that some one is living a 
Christian life because of us. The oppor- 
tunity for this joy comes to Sunday school 
teachers as it does to few others. 

Webster said, "If we work upon marble, 
it will perish; if we work upon brass, time 
will efface it; if we rear temples, they 
will crumble into dust; but if we work 
upon immortal minds, if we imbue them 
with principles, with the just fear of God, 
and love of our fellow men, we engrave on 
these tablets something that will brighten 
all eternity." 

He was an old man in a small town 
and the world outside had never heard 
of his name. But his own heart throbbed 
and his eye always kindled when he told 
how years before he had led a boy to the 
altar and had pointed him to Jesus Christ 
as Saviour and Lord. For the boy be- 
came world-famed as missionary to three 
continents — Bishop William Taylor. 

Give examples from your own observa- 
tion or reading of men and women who 

29 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

have guided others to greater achievement 
than they themselves could possibly per- 
form. To whom does the world owe 
most, in such a case, to the teacher or his 
pupils? 



QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What will it cost you to become a good 
teacher? Do you believe that Sunday 
school teaching is the best place for you 
to invest the time at your disposal for 
extra Christian service? Give reasons for 
your answer. 

Name other opportunities in which the 
same amount of time might be invested. 
How would you cultivate your talents for 
this activity? 

Do parents get more benefit from their 
children than children from their parents? 

Which receives the greater benefit from 
the other, the teacher or the pupil? 

How much of his time and talent did 
Jesus invest in teaching? 

Can you suggest any plans which would 
help the teachers in your school to feel 
more deeply the importance of improving 
their skill? 

30 



THE NECESSARY INVESTMENT 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. "No Quitters Allowed." 
II. The price of success. 

1. In business. 

2. In Christian work. 

III. The rewards of investment for skill 
in teaching and other forms of 
Christian service. 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Graded Sunday School in Principle 

and Practice — Meyer. 
The Church School — Athearn. 
Education in Religion and Morals — Coe. 
The Efficient Life— Gulick. 



31 



CHAPTER III 
THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, 
Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some 
seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured 
them: and others fell upon the rocky places, where they 
had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, be- 
cause they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was 
risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, 
they withered away. And others fell upon the thorns; and 
the thorns grew up and choked them: and others fell upon 
the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, 
some sixty, some thirty. He that hath ears, let him hear. 
—Matt. 13. 3-9. 

The mystery of life — who can explain 
it? A young college student is said to have 
boasted to a farmer that he would not 
believe anything which he could not ex- 
plain. "See here, young fellow, will you 
tell me why the grass in this pasture which 
the sheep eat makes wool, and the grass 
which the cows eat makes hair?" Cer- 
tainly he could not. Some one has called 
attention to the external similarity of a 
seed and a pebble. For all that an un- 
trained eye can detect, there may be no 
difference. Toss them into the air, and 

32 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

both will fall to the ground, but bury 
them in rich soil, and watch for the differ- 
ence. The pebble will remain in the 
ground until some outside force moves it, 
but the seed by its own inherent strength 
will lay hold on particles in the soil until 
it has strength enough to put forth a 
green shoot above ground. Then day by 
day it will drink in light and moisture 
until it develops into a flower, a grain, 
or a tree. 

All life acts upon the same principle. 
Pebbles and stones can be moved and put 
wherever some outside agent wishes. But 
not so with a seed. It can be planted at 
will, but it cannot be developed except 
by consulting the laws of its own being. 
Sunshine, rain, and proper soil, must be 
provided if a seed is to grow. The human 
plant, as we know, is far more exacting. 
It is strange that this fact should ever 
be lost sight of, and yet nothing is more 
common than for those who are concerned 
with the development of human lives to 
insist upon doing with them as they please, 
instead of being careful to do what these 
lives actually crave and will use. For 

33 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

example, you want your baby to become 
strong. It would better suit your con- 
venience to feed him three times a day 
just as you eat, and to have him lie per- 
fectly still. But it makes no difference 
what you may prefer, he will not gain 
strength unless you feed him oftener, and 
permit him to stretch his muscles very 
much as he pleases. That is the law of 
his life at this stage. 

But suppose as he gets older you wish 
him to be religious. It would be more 
convenient for you if he came into the 
same sort of religious experience which 
you had. Perhaps you sowed wild oats 
until maturity, and then asked forgiveness 
in a flood of tears. But, try as you will, 
religion will not come to a boy that way; 
it must either come according to the law 
of his own needs or it will not come at all. 
Many a man will tell from his own expe- 
rience how hard he tried as a boy to weep 
at the altar, when his only sorrow was 
because he could not quite do what his 
elders expected of him. He wanted Christ 
to guide him in his play, to protect him 
from danger, to lead him to successful man- 

34 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

hood, and there was nothing in this to 
cry about that he could understand. Why 
should a boy weep if he has little to regret 
in his past life and wants Jesus Christ 
to guide him in the future? Present Chris- 
tian discipleship to such a boy is a great 
privilege, the very thing he needs for his 
everyday life, and he will usually accept 
the opportunity eagerly. 

This book is too brief to offer a detailed 
study of the laws of child life. Its pur- 
pose is to introduce you to that field, and 
to leave the closer study for a later oppor- 
tunity. The well-educated man is not the 
one who knows everything — that is im- 
possible — but the one who knows where to 
lay his hand upon the thing he needs. 
If the Sunday school worker goes from this 
book with a sense of need and a knowl- 
edge of where to go in order to learn more 
about his problem, the purpose of the 
Primer will be accomplished. 

Sunday school workers recognize seven 
distinct age periods in the unfolding life, 
as follows: 



35 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 



AGE 

To 3 years 

4- 5 years 

6- 8 years 

9-12 years 

13-16 years 

17-20 years 1 

21 years 



NAME OF PERIOD 

Infancy 

Early Childhood 
Middle Childhood 
Later Childhood 
Early Adolescence 
Middle Adolescence 
Later Adolescence 
and Maturity 



SUNDAY SCHOOL DIVISION 

Cradle Roll 

Beginners' Department 
Primary Department 
Junior Department 
Intermediate Department 
Senior Department 

Adult Department 



In many respects the divisions are ar- 
bitrary. Some individuals pass from one 
stage of development to another, earlier or 
later than others. However, in general, the 
divisions mark off real differences. The 
ideal school would be one in which each 
pupil received precisely the training which 
his individual abilities called for. But 
the school may not be able to make all 
of its arrangements fit the needs of a par- 
ticular boy. In this case, it can plan to 
meet precisely the needs of distinct age 
periods, as 6-8, 9-12, etc., and expect the 
teachers to make such further provision 
for individual pupils as may be necessary. 

Again, some traits are characteristics of 
all the periods of growth though with 

1 According to some psychologists, early adolescence includes the years 
twelve to fourteen, middle adolescence the years fifteen to seventeen, and 
later adolescence the years eighteen to twenty-four. The Sunday school 
will probably change its divisions in the near future to correspond, but how 
soon, it is impossible to say. 

36 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

different forms of expression. One of these 
is activity. The continual activity of a 
baby in its waking hours impresses even 
the most casual observer. Its hungry senses 
are reaching out for new experiences all 
the time. But the perpetual motion of a 
Beginner is none the less marked, and when 
he comes to the Primary and Junior 
stages, noise and "rough-house 5 ' make the 
boy's family wonder if they will ever 
have any peace and quiet. The youth 
in his early teens may not be so noisy or 
rough, but he is even more intense in his 
play, while the older youth, though more 
thoughtful and quiet, yearns to do the 
hardest thing his talents can tackle. Hence 
it will be noted as we study the various 
age periods that in some instances we are 
discussing different characteristics, and in 
other cases different manifestations of a 
common characteristic. 

Let us consider briefly some of the out- 
standing characteristics of the different 
periods of unfolding. Hungry senses ex- 
plain much of the life of an infant. The 
sense of taste is clearly the hungriest, for 
everything ultimately goes to the baby's 

37 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

mouth, if he can have his way. But sounds 
are scarcely less fascinating, while moving 
objects or new combinations of color will 
make him forget for a time even that he 
is hungry. Fortunate the child whose 
parents and teachers will keep these senses 
hungering. They are his capital for grow- 
ing, for learning, for developing. 

In the next period physical activity is 
incessant, but the mind is developing 
rapidly, as well as the body. Imagination 
takes him into fairyland at his will. And 
questions — only those with experience have 
any conception of the number and depth 
of the inquiries directed to mother and 
teacher. Some one has said, "The thoughts 
of youth are long, long thoughts/' but 
who has not seen the five-year-old with 
his head on his hand, and a far-away look 
in his eyes, wondering who made him, who 
made mother, who made the big trees, or 
where heaven is. It is an unwise teacher 
who thinks that "any answer will do/' for 
memories are keen now, and every reader 
can think of answers which were given to 
him at this period, and which have never 
left his mind. We may not be able to 

38 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

give a complete answer, but we can give 
an honest one. 

The Primary child carries just as much 
activity and more imagination than the 
Beginner, but his world is getting larger, 
and he wants to know things. He wants 
to know whether it is a "really truly story" 
or a "make-believe." His entrance into 
school brings him into new social con- 
tacts. He is strongly self -centered, but is 
beginning to experience the necessity of 
obeying some rules. Habits are being 
formed easily, and the utmost care must 
be taken to see that he forms the right 
kind of habits. Imitation both in this 
period and the former will control much 
of his activity. Kindness, respect for the 
rights of others, and other simple moral 
qualities must be cultivated, together with 
a love for God as the heavenly Father and 
a desire to help God take care of all his 
creatures. 

The Junior pupil faces a much wider 
horizon than his younger schoolmates. 
Geography and history bring him into 
touch with distant lands and the achieve- 
ments of the past. The reading craze is 

39 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

on with a particular fondness for stories 
of adventure. Closely allied to these is 
"hero-worship/' whether the hero be a 
prizefighter or a missionary. Active? Bois- 
terously and violently so. The body at this 
time shows its maximum power to resist 
diseases. Every fiber of it is active, and 
if the boy or girl takes to books, he will 
be just as intense in reading as on the 
playground. It is the golden period for 
memorizing, and this opportunity should 
be used wisely by the teacher. The col- 
lecting instinct is marked, as evidenced by 
the wonderful assortment in a boy's pocket. 
The necessity for correct habits in such an 
eager, receptive period cannot be too 
strongly emphasized. Near the close of this 
period is one of the times when young 
lives so naturally accept Jesus Christ as 
their leader. Such decisions are made fre- 
quently in earlier years, but the close of 
the Junior period marks one of the epochs 
when childhood seems naturally to desire 
the help of Jesus Christ and the privilege 
of following him. 

Early adolescence brings the unfolding 
of new powers (power of sex) to a life. 

40 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

With this comes a new feeling for others. 
The former self-confidence and desire to 
be leader in everything yields to a desire 
for team play, a willingness to sacrifice any 
personal interest for the team. Physical 
activity is an outstanding interest with 
the boy, for eighty per cent of the gangs 
so universally formed at this period are 
organized for this purpose. Appreciation 
for the rules of the game, honor, loyalty, 
regard for others, beginnings of chivalry, 
courage, attention to personal appearance 
— these and many other dawning interests 
make the period one of sublime opportu- 
nity for a teacher. Girls will not be so 
active physically; they may not be strong 
at all, but they share for the most part, 
as far as they have opportunity, the same 
high ideals. 

One of the warnings, however, which 
needs to be raised is that youth will not 
talk much about its high ideals. These 
young people are self-conscious, sensitive 
to criticism, and often secretive. How 
often they think, sometimes justly, "No- 
body understands me." But there is 
great material for Christian discipleship 

41 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

here, and the wise teacher will bring it 
out. 

From fifteen to seventeen years of age 
is another great opportunity to win youth 
for Christian discipleship. Professors Star- 
buck, Coe, and others, have proved be- 
yond any shadow of doubt that the great 
epochs when what we call "conversions" 
are most likely to occur are twelve to 
thirteen, fifteen to sixteen, and eighteen to 
nineteen, with the greatest number occur- 
ring at fifteen to sixteen. "If conversion 
has not occurred before thirty, the chances 
are small it will ever be experienced," says 
Starbuck. 1 

Middle adolescence brings more intense 
mental struggles than physical, though the 
youth is ready for the physical when it is 
called into play. Once more he takes a 
long look at the problems of the universe, 
and feels that they must be settled now. 
He must find his place in the world. His 
ideals are high, and, as we have just seen, 
if Jesus Christ is not accepted as Lord 
before he passes out of this period, the 
probabilities are against his ever becoming 

1 Psychology of Religion, p. 28. 

42 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

a disciple. The Senior also is ambitious, 
eager to take a hand in some big enter- 
prise. Recall the subjects of some of the 
graduating essays when you graduated 
from high school. The problems of the 
universe were solved in those essays, at 
least to the satisfaction of the writers. It 
is glorious to deal with lives so buoyant, 
so optimistic, so eager, but they must be 
given something to do. Religious doubts 
and other difficulties may come at any 
time. They need a task which taxes their 
powers and compels them to lean hard 
upon God, for nothing will steady a man's 
faith so much as a task which compels 
him to face the facts of life and seek help 
from the Guide and Burden-bearer of 
humanity. 

Moreover, it is the right of youth to be 
prepared for their tasks. If these young 
people are ever to acquire skill in Sunday 
school teaching, church administration, va- 
rious forms of community service, this is 
their best time to begin. 

One of the hardest tasks in the training 
of lives is to prolong the period of adoles- 
cence. Some pass out of the learning 

43 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

stage in the early twenties. Their habits 
become fixed. It is impossible to interest 
them in a new idea or new method of 
work or a new investment of talent. On 
the other hand, others are eager learners 
up into the eighties, always alert to meet 
some new idea, seeking to improve their 
methods, ready to enter new fields of in- 
vestment which promise to enrich their 
own or other lives. No one questions but 
that the second is the ideal way to live 
and yet comparatively few ever have the 
chance to do so. They were not trained 
for it, and they were not geniuses enough 
to discover the secrets of great living 
unaided. 

However, it is the business of the Sun- 
day school, so far as possible, to make 
world citizens of its adults, to interest them 
in the needs of their neighbors at home 
and abroad, to show opportunities for the 
investment of time and money, and to 
develop skill in Bible study and every form 
of world service. 



44 



THE UNFOLDING LIFE 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

At what stage in their development are 
my pupils? (If you do not have a class, 
select one for purposes of observation and 
study.) 

How much can I tell right now about 
their physical life, their play, their school 
work, their likes and dislikes? 

In what respects do they differ from the 
pupils two or three years younger than 
they, also from those two or three years 
older? 

Am I willing to plan everything to suit 
the needs of their lives rather than to 
please my own tastes? If so, where can 
I begin to improve? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. Life is an unfolding process. 
II. Successful nurture or cultivation re- 
quires a diligent study of each 
life's capacities and needs. 
III. Characteristic capacities and needs of 
distinct age-periods. 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Spiritual Life — Coe. 

The Psychology of Religion — Starbuck. 

45 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

The Unfolding Life— Lamoreaux. 
The Natural Way — Du Bois. 
A Study of Child Nature — Harrison. 
Child Nature and Child Nurture — St. John. 
Youth (or Adolescence, 2 vols.) — Hall. 
The Worker and His Work Series. 
Fundamentals of Child Study — Kirkpat- 
rick. 



46 



CHAPTER IV 
RELIGION AND EVERYDAY LIFE 

And now, Israel, what doth Jehovah thy God require of 
thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, 
and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with all 
thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments 
of Jehovah, and his statutes, which I command thee this 
day for thy good?— Deut. 10. 12, 13. 

He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what 
doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love 
kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God? — Micak 6. 8. 

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial 
of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal 
life? And he said unto him, What is written in the law? 
how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt 
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and 
thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast 
answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. — Luke 10. 25-28. 

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father 
is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, 
and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. — James 1. 27. 

"John, did it ever occur to you what 
God could do with that athletic talent of 
yours?" 

Have you ever approached a growing 
youth with this invitation and challenge in 
the name of Jesus Christ? If you were to 
do so to some boy in your class, what would 
be the answer? Probably this: "Why, I 

47 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

didn't suppose he could use anything like 
that/ 5 And yet athletic talent, social 
talent, studious minds, literary gifts, bus- 
iness acumen, mother love, and other 
similar powers are exactly what God uses 
continually. 

We have just quoted four definitions 
of religion written in the law, the prophets, 
the Gospels, and the epistles, and every 
one defines it in terms of present life. 
According to the prophets, our Lord, and 
James, religion is a life of justice and 
kindness to others under the inspiration 
of love for God. In view of this, how 
strange it is that our boys and girls are 
often surprised to-day when we ask them 
to use for God their love of fun, athletic 
prowess, and gifts of leadership! If you 
were to ask them what religion means to 
them, they probably could not answer, but 
it is evident that many of them think of 
it as a kind of cloak which may be worn 
on Sunday, together with a long face, 
and discarded from Monday to Saturday, 
or as a life of self-denial in this world for 
the sake of expected joys in the next. 

Such a conception may be true to the 

48 









RELIGION AND EVERYDAY LIFE 

facts in certain instances, but it is not 
true to the teachings of the Bible, and has 
never been held by the world at large. 

The development of Christianity can be 
traced through the Bible and succeeding 
history. Here religion is plainly an effort 
of men and women to realize what they 
believe to be the highest values of life by 
striving to work in harmony with God's 
will. We do not find Christianity pre- 
sented to men ready-made, but we find 
it a continually unfolding system of living. 
The Hebrews in the times of Joshua and 
the Judges, had moral ideals so crude that 
we shudder at them. The killing of Achan's 
innocent family because of the father's sin 
is not a libel on the Christian's God, it was 
the best those early Hebrews knew about 
their duty to God. It is no more right to 
estimate God by this primitive ideal than 
it is to measure a good man by the sins of 
ignorance committed in his boyhood. 

The greatest thing in life is its capacity 
for growth. If religion were stationary, 
what help would it be to growing lives? 
But religion keeps pace with life. The 
experiences of one age bear fruit in higher 

49 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

ideals and worthier deeds in the next. 
All this time the good God is leading his 
people to truer conceptions of himself. 

Deut. 4. 32-40 contains sublime oratory 
but a narrow conception of God. Read 
this passage: "Did ever a people hear the 
voice of God speaking out of the midst of 
the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? . . . 
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his 
voice, that he might instruct thee: and 
upon earth he made thee to see his great 
fire, and thou heardest his words out of 
the midst of the fire. And because he 
loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their 
seed after them, and brought thee out 
with his presence, with his great power, 
out of Egypt; to drive out nations from 
before thee greater and mightier than 
thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their 
land for an inheritance, as at this day" 
(Deut. 4. 33-38). As wonderful a tribute 
to the power and love of God for a chosen 
people as this is, the God here described 
is too selfish to be the God revealed by 
Jesus Christ. Compare the preceding with 
this from Amos: "Are ye not as the chil- 
dren of the Ethiopians unto me, O children 

50 



RELIGION AND EVERYDAY LIFE 

of Israel? saith Jehovah. Have not I 
brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, 
and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the 
Syrians from Kir?" (Amos 9. 7.) 

Or compare the following passages: 
"O daughter of Babylon, that art to be de- 
stroyed; 
Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee 
As thou hast served us. 
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth 

thy little ones 
Against the rock" (Psa. 137. 8, 9). 
"And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well 
to be angry for the gourd? And he said, 
I do well to be angry, even unto death. 
And Jehovah said, Thou hast had regard 
for the gourd, for which thou hast not 
labored, neither madest it grow; which 
came up in a night, and perished in a 
night: and should not I have regard for 
Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more 
than six score thousand persons that can- 
not discern between their right hand and 
their left hand; and also much cattle?" 
(Jonah 4. 9-11.) "Father, forgive them; for 
they know not what they do" (Luke 23. 34). 
Evidently, the estimate of God held by 

51 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

these various writers differed. How do 
you account for such differences of thought 
in the Bible? They are differences of 
growth. No matter when the latter part 
of Psalm 137 was written, the writer was 
behind the times of the other two. In 
an earlier day his doctrine of a God of 
vengeance would have voiced even the 
most enlightened opinion, but how far it 
is from the nature of God as portrayed by 
the writer of Jonah, and by Jesus! They 
are as far apart as an average six-year-old's 
selfishness is from a Christian mother's 
or father's self-sacrificing love. 

We are dealing not with theories, but 
with facts. Religion develops as the race 
grows wiser and kindlier in its experience. 
We need not discuss the difference between 
the heavenly Father portrayed by Jesus 
and the God of the ancient Hebrews; 
that difference is apparent to all. Our 
main task here is to see clearly that we 
know absolutely nothing about any re- 
ligion apart from the experiences of men 
and women. This means that if we would 
lead boys and girls to grow into "the 
measure of the stature of the fullness of 

52 



RELIGION AND EVERYDAY LIFE 

Christ/' we must give them a Christ who 
will be with them in their games and their 
studies — in short, in everything that they 
do. He will be in their thought a larger 
Christ ten years later, but here again, as in 
the earlier years, he must be the guide in 
work and play, in every social relationship. 

"I came that they may have life, and 
may have it abundantly/ 5 was our Lord's 
own definition of his purpose. Shall we 
not, then, in teaching religion, make it 
clear that pupils are asked to become 
disciples of Christ so that they may de- 
velop their faculties to the fullest possible 
extent, and thus increase the total of 
human happiness? A selfish Christian is 
a misnomer, but a Christian who, out of 
his love for God and man, has developed 
every resource of his life so that he can 
do his full share of the world's work, is 
a real disciple of Jesus of Nazareth. 

If we give to young lives just the guidance 
and inspiration which they need for each 
period of their growth, we can develop in 
them a religion such as the prophets, our 
Lord, and James described, a religion which 
will lead them into the life abundant. 

53 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What are some of the most common 
phrases used in trying to win your pupils 
to Jesus Christ? What do they actually 
mean to your boys and girls, translated 
into plain, everyday terms? 

What advice do you usually give when 
asked what it means to be a Christian? 
Can you translate this into terms of what 
young people can do at home? In school? 
On the playground? 

What would you suggest as a good ap- 
peal to one to become a Christian? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. Religion defined in the law, the proph- 
ets, the Gospels, and the epistles 
is a life of love for God and serv- 
ice to men. 
II. Every religion an effort to attain the 
highest values in life. 

III. How the Christian conception of God 

is developed in the Bible. 

IV. In teaching the Christian religion to 

boys and girls, make it clear 
that this is the key to the abun- 
dant life. 

54 



RELIGION AND EVERYDAY LIFE 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

Jesus Christ and the Human Race — Hall. 

Psychology of Religious Experience — Ames. 

A Study of Religion — Jastrow. 

The Spiritual Life — Coe. 

Rising Churches in Non-Christian Lands — 

Brown. 
The Moslem World — Zwemer. 
The Psychology of Religion — Starbuck. 



55 



CHAPTER V 
THE WORD OF LIFE 



God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the 
prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath 
at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom 
he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made 
the worlds.— Heb. 1. 1, 2. 

Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for 
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which 
is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, 
furnished completely unto every good work. — 3 Tim. 3. 16, 17. 



The Christian is often called "the man 
with a book/' or "the man of one book/ 5 
No other book has ever been translated 
into so many different languages or read 
so universally as the Bible. Why? There 
is only one conclusion to draw — it must 
fit the needs of human life. And there 
is every reason why it should fit these 
needs, for it is more than anything else 
a record of lives, of souls in action. It 
has not always been interpreted so. Too 
often people have been taught its pages 
by proof texts. They can recite many 
verses and argue many doctrines, but to 

56 



THE WORD OF LIFE 

tell what the men in the book actually did 
and said or why — well, the fact is that 
they never studied the Bible this way. 
They are interested not in what people 
did ages ago but what they should do 
now. This is right, but we cannot find 
the message for now unless we take pains 
to find out just what the events meant 
when they happened. 

Let us ask ourselves just what the Bible 
is for, why it was written, and how it 
came to be handed down. Then we can 
better find the keys to unlock its meaning. 
The writers themselves were for the most 
part too busy making history to tell why 
they were working as they were, but Paul 
gives some light on the subject when he 
tells Timothy that "Every scripture in- 
spired of God is also profitable for teach- 
ing, for reproof, for correction, for instruc- 
tion which is in righteousness: that the 
man of God may be complete, furnished 
completely unto every good work (2 Tim. 3. 
16, 17). What clearer explanation of the 
purpose of scripture could be given than 
this — to furnish men completely for every 
good work? The important test to apply 

57 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

to the Scriptures is to ask, What will 
they help men to do? 

And another passage answers the ques- 
tion of how it was written: "God, having 
of old time spoken unto the fathers in the 
prophets by divers portions and in divers 
manners, hath at the end of these days 
spoken unto us in his Son/ 5 etc. (Heb. 1. 
1, 2). Those things which we have in 
the Bible were first lived, then usually 
handed down orally, then written and 
rewritten for the benefit of God's people 
in similar situations. When the actual 
account of deeds was completed, then the 
record found its way to other peoples, 
being translated into the languages most 
widely read: first, Greek and Latin (much 
of the New Testament, however, being 
originally in Greek), much later into Eng- 
lish, German, and nearly five hundred 
other languages and dialects as they were 
needed. Look up the story in How We 
Got our Bible (Smyth), or in The Worker 
and His Bible (Eiselen-Barclay) . 

If you have ever talked with a foreigner, 
you know how hard it is for him to tell 
you in English what he has been in the 

58 



THE WORD OF LIFE 

habit of expressing in German, Italian, or 
some other language. Sometimes it is 
impossible for him to express quite the 
shade of meaning he intends to say. If 
this is true when we talk face to face with 
people to-day, how evident it is that an 
English translation of the Bible may not 
express quite what the original Hebrew 
or Greek intended! Language is used to 
describe what the people of a country 
habitually think and do, but what if their 
habits are very different from ours? Then 
how can we learn what they meant? Our 
translation will not tell us. For example, 
"If a son ask bread, will he give him a 
stone?" Who that uses a metal oven can 
understand that in Palestine the bread is 
baked in an earthen oven and that small 
stones must be picked from the bottom 
of the loaf before the bread is given to 
very young children? Again, we fill a 
peck measure in a hurry and let it run 
over; but in Palestine it is a fine art to 
get "good measure, pressed down, shaken 
together, running over." The Arab buyer 
will take half an hour or longer if necessary 
in order to get the last possible grain that 

59 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

will stick to the pile heaped up on his 
measure. 

The writer once taught the first verses 
of Mark 1 to a group of boys ten miles 
north of Jerusalem. "Make ye ready 
the way of the Lord, make his paths 
straight." 

"Boys, did you ever have a great king 
coming this way and make ready roads for 
him?" 

"Sure, when the German emperor came." 

That was very recent history, but it was 
a biblical habit enacted over again. It 
is far easier to interpret the Bible to cer- 
tain Oriental peoples than to Europeans 
and Americans. Why? Because our habits 
are so different that we have difficulty 
in understanding phrases which are per- 
fectly plain to people who live more like 
the Hebrews of old. 

If the Bible is a record of lives, it is 
folly for us to try to teach it without 
knowingHhow these men lived and spoke. 
If they had used modern scientific inven- 
tions and spoken our plain, matter-of-fact 
English, this book might have been easier 
for some of us to understand, but mil- 

60 



THE WORD OF LIFE 

lions could never have grasped it. But 
because it is the record of people who 
lived close to nature and spoke a vivid 
picture language, the whole world can grasp 
it with a little study. 

You will never know as much about the 
Bible as you wish, but you can soon learn 
the essential facts. There are a few out- 
standing types of its writings which all 
ought to know. Can you describe the 
characteristics of the lawgivers, the narra- 
tors, the prophets, the hymn writers, the 
wise men, the apostles? Can you tell 
something about their methods of work 
and what sections of the Bible we owe to 
each? When you can do this you have 
gone a long way toward an intelligent 
understanding of what the Bible actually 
meant in the days when its incidents 
were happening or being written. Great 
Teachers of Judaism and Christianity, by 
Kent, will give you in fascinating style 
the information which you need. 

It was after one of a series of prayer 
meeting talks on these subjects that an 
official in a local church came forward 
and asked, "Where can I find a book which 

61 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

will tell me some of these interesting 
things?" 

The pastor tried to explain how he 
came to learn them, when the man looked 
up with a smile and observed, "In other 
words, any good English translation of 
the Bible would help me, wouldn't it?" 

"Well, it is all there; a little study will 
help you to find it," was the answer. 

How many times have you said to 
yourself or heard others say after an 
interesting explanation of some Bible pas- 
sage, "I did not know there was anything 
as interesting as that in the Bible"? The 
trouble is that too often we have pre- 
sented the book in the form of texts or 
exhortations without letting the Bible con- 
vey its own message. The first task in 
explaining a passage should be to make 
clear to our pupils what was actually 
going on in that ancient day. This will 
not preclude the use of texts but will give 
to our pupils first of all a record of lives 
from whom they can draw their own coun- 
sel and inspiration. 

There are three cautions which may help 
us to avoid mistakes. 

62 



THE WORD OF LIFE 

First, remember that the Bible all the 
way through was written to influence con- 
duct. Its final message on conduct is au- 
thoritative. Its theme is conduct in fellow- 
ship with God, and had to be presented in 
pictures of what the people thought was 
true. 

Second, always seek to find out just 
what each writer meant when he wrote, 
not what you think he ought to have 
meant. If he was using a fable or parable, 
recognize it as such and find out the moral. 
Do not try to find a literal interpretation 
for passages plainly intended to point out 
figuratively one particular truth, as in 
most of the parables of Jesus. On the 
other hand, when a writer meant to speak 
plainly and not figuratively, do not try 
to use the verse as a figure and present 
your notion as biblical. Your idea may 
be worth while, but it should not be given 
as something which the author intended 
to say. 

Third, keep in mind that if the Bible 
is an unfolding revelation of life, the early 
stages cannot have equal value with the 
later. An estimate of the business of life 

63 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

cannot be taken from a five-year-old boy, 
for he does little but play. We need to 
know the whole of life before we can give 
advice to a man, and it is the revelation 
made complete by the life of Christ to- 
gether with the words of Paul and the 
apostolic writers which gives us Chris- 
tianity. Moreover, some parts of the 
Bible, like the great stories, are profitable 
for children, while other parts, like the 
epistles and prophecies, are entirely beyond 
their understanding. Here again a good 
gardener is needed as teacher, one who 
will give to the growing life not the thing 
in which the teacher delights, but what 
he knows the child can grasp and use. 



QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

If some pupil were to ask you, "Teacher, 
how did we ever come to have a Bible, 
anyhow?" how would you answer? 

Why is it important to study the circum- 
stances under which a passage of Scripture 
was written? 

Why is it important to study something 

64 



THE WORD OF LIFE 

about the customs and habits of speech 
of the people whose deeds are recorded 
in the Bible? 

Is the Bible a more interesting or less 
interesting book to you because you know 
that God allowed men to write it, inter- 
preting events as best they could in the 
light of their religious experience and faith 
instead of dictating to them just what 
to say? 

Which of these two methods of rev- 
elation do you believe to be the most 
useful? 

Can you lead your pupils to feel that 
they are studying heroes in action when 
they read the word of God? 



LESSON OUTLINE 

I. The purpose of the Bible. 
II. Necessity for study in order to under- 
stand it. 

III. How to make its record of lives stand 

out vividly. 

IV. Three cautions. 



BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Worker and His Bible — Eiselen-Bar- 
clay. 

65 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

First Standard Manual of Teacher Train- 
ing — Barclay. 

How We Got Our Bible— Smyth. 

Great Teachers of Judaism and Christian- 
ity — Kent. 



66 



CHAPTER VI 
THE NURTURE OF LIFE 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 
Honor thy father and mother (which is the first command- 
ment with promise), that it may be well with thee, and 
thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, pro- 
voke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the 
chastening and admonition of the Lord. — Eph. 6. 1-1>. 

The process of supplying a life with 
the things essential to its growth is called 
nurture. If the nurture is wise, there are 
no known limits to the possibilities of 
lives; if the nurture is unwise, there is no 
certainty that anything good will result. 
Burbank has startled the world with his 
magic transformation of plant life, but 
every Sunday school teacher has the oppor- 
tunity to do a greater thing with the 
human lives under his care. Burbank 
brings to his plants nothing but thought- 
ful care. The resources are all within the 
plants themselves. He gives them an 
environment and food and associations and 
opportunities for expression which their 
own organs lay hold of for growth. 

67 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

Around the world to-day two blades of 
wheat or corn are being made to grow 
where only one grew before. Depart- 
ments of agriculture are scattering free 
literature and sending out men to demon- 
strate far and wide. Leading dailies are 
making a plea for smaller farms better 
cultivated. Why? Have the properties of 
the soil or of seeds changed? Yes, and No. 
The soil and the seeds held the same 
possibilities a generation ago, but garden- 
ers did not know so well how to fertilize 
the soil or cross species or rotate the crops. 
Under wise care, however, both soil and 
seeds are made to increase their possibilities 
wonderfully. States can afford to spend 
large sums to scatter this information, for it 
means a richer, happier people in the future. 

Some day these States will spend just 
as large sums to scatter information about 
the properties of human soils and the best 
way to develop the lives of their citizens 
as they do on intensive agriculture, but 
that time has not yet come. However, 
there is a growing company of parents 
and teachers who are learning lessons from 
this new intensive cultivation of grain and 

68 



THE NURTURE OF LIFE 

stock. The wonder of it is that people 
ever thought that lives could be improved 
in any other way. Perhaps they said, 
"Life is a gift of God, therefore he will 
take care of it." The true logic would 
be, "Life is a gift of God, therefore we 
must take care of it." 

In a preceding chapter we treated briefly 
some significant instincts and characteris- 
tics of different periods in a life. We 
noted the hungry senses, quick imagina- 
tion, and habit of imitation in the Beginner, 
the same qualities developed by public 
school and larger social contacts in the 
Primary child, the irrepressible energy of 
a Junior, together with his hero-worship, 
reading craze, collecting instinct, and won- 
derful power of memory* We saw the 
Intermediate taking thought for others, 
sacrificing himself for the team or gang, 
with limitless physical energy and high 
ideals. We saw the Senior eager to do 
something worth while in the world, ro- 
mantic, thoughtful, optimistic; and the 
Adult with habits becoming fixed but still 
seeking better methods of service and 
striving for skill in his appointed tasks. 

69 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

Our study now is to see how a religious 
life can be made to grow from these in- 
stincts. Instinct in the abstract is ex- 
ceedingly hard to define, but instincts as 
they appear in life are easy to recognize. 
Professor Kirkpatrick, in his book entitled 
Fundamentals of Child Study, speaks of 
two natural or untaught types of action 
— reflexive and instinctive. A reflexive 
movement he defines as an act in response 
to a local stimulus, such as withdrawing 
the hand from a hot stove or shutting 
the eye to keep out dirt. The heat or 
dirt are endangering only the hand or eyes, 
so only those nerves in these organs send 
in a call for action. On the other hand, 
an instinctive movement is described as a 
reaction in response to the needs of the 
whole organism or a large part of it. All 
we know about the beginning of instincts 
is that without any teaching or guidance 
a human life seems to be so organized that 
these movements of self-preservation, love, 
desire to please others, imitation, and 
others appear. When they appear it is 
the task of nurture to develop them to 
their highest possibilities. From the Chris- 

70 



THE NURTURE OF LIFE 

tian standpoint they are the God-given re- 
sources out of which all useful habits are 
to be developed. They are therefore the 
resources out of which Christian character 
must be made. God himself saw to it 
that Christianity was developed so as to 
meet life's need. It came into being, 
as we have seen, through the actual expe- 
riences of a race for hundreds of years 
and finally through the Son of God who 
lived a human life. We need not worry 
about our religion being such as a child 
or adult will grasp for his best interest. 
Our concern is to present it fairly so that 
each period of life will find in it the food 
and sunlight which it needs. 

If the small child can be taught obedience 
and a love for the beautiful, an excellent 
beginning will be made. It was to a girl 
between two and three years old that the 
mother, pointing out a sunset, said, "Look 
at the pretty sky." This mother also 
frequently called her attention to other 
pretty things. One day they were in an 
auto going along what was known as 
Grand View Drive. When they came to 
a turn in the road the little one cried out, 

71 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING- 

"0, mamma, pretty! mamma, pretty !" and 
insisted upon climbing into the back seat 
with her mother so she could talk about 
it. How much she really saw no one 
knows, but she was forming a habit which 
would make her reverent almost anywhere 
in God's out-of-doors. 

All children love a story. In fact, people 
never grow away from it, but in the earliest 
years the story is the one supreme method 
by which religious truth can be imparted. 
Stories of a loving Father, of the good 
things he has made, his care for birds and 
flowers and his expectation that children 
will help him take care of these things, 
are especially helpful. What better re- 
ligious teaching could a young child have 
than this? A pastor once called the 
writer's attention to a song on the black- 
board, about the loving Father's care. 
"Look what stuff they are teaching our 
little folks now and calling it religion." 

"My friend," came the answer, "you 
have had children. Whether you knew it 
or not, when your boy was at this age 
you were his ideal of God. That is, all he 
knew about God was what he saw in you, 

72 



THE NURTURE OF LIFE 

and God was just like you to him. Now, 
isn't it better to recognize this fact and 
give the children their lessons about God 
in these terms instead of speaking about 
him as Almighty King, Ruler, Judge, or 
in other terms which they cannot under- 
stand?" 

What do you think of the following 
incident as an example of nurture in what 
the Epistle of James would call "pure 
religion"? It was a Beginners' class in 
day school. The class was learning to 
write and spell. Like every good teacher, 
this one was giving her pupils an incentive 
for everything which they were doing, and 
so the story of Cinderella was told, illus- 
trated by colored pictures pinned to the 
blackboard. After the story the pupils 
were asked to tell it back by writing 
certain words on the board. Several 
were thus written, and then she asked 
for one of six or seven letters. "Who 
will write this one?" Numerous hands 
waved frantically. But to the writer's 
surprise she picked a boy whose hand, 
if up at all, was barely so. "George, how 
would you like to do it?" The visitor was 

73 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

dumfounded. George was the slowest one 
in the class, and this was the hardest 
word. He had little confidence in the 
boy's ability to write it. 

But he soon saw that an unusual thing 
was going on. Instead of the hands con- 
tinuing to wave in the hope that the 
starter would fail and give some one else 
a chance to show off, every hand went 
down and every face became glued to the 
board. It was soon evident that they 
wanted this boy to succeed. He began 
and worked through one letter and then 
another, O, so slowly. Finally he was 
finishing the fourth when one boy could 
contain himself no longer and said, "Oh, 
George, that's splendid." The class nodded 
happily. It was evident that they had 
been trained to feel that if the slowest 
one in the class could succeed, this would 
mean a victory for all. In this case not 
only was information suited to their ability, 
but they were being trained in the expres- 
sion of Christian truth in their day school. 

Nor are information and expression the 
only factors in spiritual nurture. The 
physical resources are also great factors. 

74 



THE NURTURE OF LIFE 

Some one has told of a boy who was saved 
through his teeth. He was developing 
criminal tendencies and would have been 
sent to a reform school if a doctor had 
not discovered that he was getting only 
twenty-two per cent masticating efficiency 
out of his teeth, that only twenty-two per 
cent of the surface of his teeth was effective. 
As a result the food was very incompletely 
masticated and poisonous gases were being 
generated in his system. By improving 
the teeth to an eighty-three per cent 
efficiency the doctor made possible a change 
in the whole life of the boy, who gradually 
became a good student. Many a child 
who formerly would have been punished 
and set down as hopelessly bad is being 
sent now to the doctors to have defective 
senses cured. 

Then there is the factor of atmosphere, 
as important for the growing of human 
lives as it is for the raising of grain. In 
the raising of grain the proper physical 
atmosphere is absolutely vital; in the nur- 
ture of human lives the moral atmosphere 
is equally important. We were passing 
through one of the most congested sec- 

75 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

tions of a great city when the pastor of 
the neighborhood said to the writer, "Talk 
about the amount of crime among my 
people, I wonder there is so little when I 
think how they are raised amid the filth 
and sin of these alleys." Everyone fa- 
miliar with the laws of nurture knows 
that the pastor was right. God has given 
to human lives wonderful capacities. It 
is our task to use the resources which he 
has made available so that stalwart Chris- 
tian character will grow. 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

Cite examples from your own observa- 
tion of where the principles of nurture 
have been neglected. 

What are you planning to give to your 
class next Sunday? Why do you think 
they will take hold of it? What exercise 
in religious conduct do you expect to get 
as a result? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. Nurture defined as the process of sup- 
plying a life with the things 
essential to its growth. 

76 



THE NURTURE OF LIFE 

II. The results of more intelligent nur- 
ture of plant life and live stock. 

III. The capacities or instincts in human 

life which must be fed and given 
opportunities for expression. 

IV. Growing Christian character from 

such capacities. 

1. Teaching obedience and love for 

God. 

(1) Through the beauties of 
nature. 

(2) Through stories of a Fa- 
ther's care. 

(3) Through expression in 
Christian service. 

The formation of right 
habits. 

2. Utilizing all the physical re- 

sources. 

3. Providing wholesome moral at- 

mosphere. 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

A Study of Child Nature — Harrison. 
Child Nature and Child Nurture — St. John. 
The Unfolding Life — Lamoreaux. 
Fundamentals of Child Study — Kirkpatrick. 
Elements of Psychology — Thorndike. 
The Training of the Human Plant — Bur- 
bank. 
Mind in the Making — Swift. 

77 



CHAPTER VII 

THE POWER OF PERSONAL 
INFLUENCE 

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample 
to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, 
in faith, in purity. Till I come, give heed to reading, to 
exhortation, to teaching. Neglect not the gift that is in 
thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying 
on of the hands of the presbytery. Be diligent in these 
things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may 
be manifest unto all. Take heed to thyself, and to thy 
teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou 
shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee. — 1 Tim* 
4. 12-16. 

"My boy, you have my permission to 
do anything that you ever see me do," 
said a father to his seven-year-old son. 
He need not have troubled to give the 
permission, for the boy would have done 
it anyhow; but he made it clear that he 
knew his responsibility and expected to 
make good on it. The two incidents may 
not have any connection, but it is a fact 
that when the boy was about twelve his 
Sunday school teacher asked him and his 
classmates what they would like to be 
when they became men. One wanted to 
be a bicycle rider, another an engineer, and 

78 



PERSONAL INFLUENCE 

this one, who was probably the most 
mischievous trouble-maker in the group 
said, "A man just like my father/ 5 

It was a youth whose father was in the 
baseball business who said one day: "Do 
you know, I never could do the things 
which some fellows do. My father and I 
are too good chums, and I haven't the heart 
to disappoint him." - 

What has been said of fathers could 
be multiplied many times of teachers in 
every capacity, whether as parents, day- 
school instructors, guides in religion, or in 
business. A young man who was planning 
to become a minister once said to the 
writer: "Do you know why I am a Chris- 
tian? It is because of the example of 
Miss Smith when she was our teacher in 
country school. She never said much about 
her religion, but I watched her every day 
and decided that I wanted the same kind 
of power that she had." The story was 
reported to the mother of the teacher, who 
replied: "That's splendid, but wouldn't it 
surprise Ruth! I don't suppose she ever 
knew that she had helped anybody that 
way." 

79 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

The purpose of nurture is to develop 
fruitfulness. And in the cultivation of 
fruit-bearing power in a human life there 
is nothing so effective as example. That 
is to say, the placing of a character whose 
good qualities are contagious alongside a 
growing life is one of the very best methods 
of teaching. What will the pupil catch 
from the teacher? First of all, he will 
catch the teacher's bearing toward prob- 
lems. Whether we call this "bearing," 
"motive," "disposition," or what, it is 
nothing more nor less than the spirit 
with which one attacks his work or play. 
Are we interested in the problems which 
confront our pupils? Do we seek for new 
facts or new meanings in facts which may 
help in their solution? Are we painstaking 
or negligent, are we careful in little things? 
Are we concerned to "get through" or to 
get results? Do we find joy in this search 
for solutions or is it drudgery? These 
questions are of the utmost importance in 
the learning process and the teacher's own 
mental habits will be caught more readily 
than any words of advice. 

Then there is a range of habits con- 

80 



PERSONAL INFLUENCE 

cerned with appearance, voice, and the like. 
"Cleanliness is next to godliness/ 5 accord- 
ing to the proverb, and, while not backed 
by scriptural authority, few would care to 
dispute it. The habit of doing one's best 
is a moral quality, and, if dominating a 
life, may certainly be expected to show 
in the teacher's appearance. 

Only a few may dress elegantly (even if 
they cared to), but everyone can dress 
neatly. Perhaps good taste in clothing is 
beyond the reach of some, but there are 
certain to be people around who can give 
us in advice the benefit of their good taste. 
The old Greeks considered beauty a thing 
to worship, and everyone knows that it 
is one of the chief incentives to goodness. 
Many a pupil has looked into the teacher's 
face hour after hour and determined to 
be at his best to please that teacher. If 
the truth were known, more than one child 
has wondered if God doesn't look like that. 
But few pupils ever made the mistake of 
looking at one who was slovenly or care- 
less and thinking that he resembled God. 

The same is true with respect to the 
voice. Some of the harsh calls of mothers 

81 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

or teachers set every evil impulse in mo- 
tion; other voices make one aspire to be 
better, penitent if he has been in the 
wrong, and happy if the voice speaks in 
appreciation. Probably every human being 
could cultivate neatness in appearance or 
an agreeable speaking voice if he would 
try hard enough. It is the teacher's busi- 
ness to give childhood the advantage of 
such training at every stage of its growth. 

The same qualities which show in per- 
sonal appearance are apt to appear in work. 
If the dress is slovenly, the blackboard or 
writing paper will probably be slovenly too. 
If one is careless in physical things, there 
is no good ground for expecting his mental 
habits to be orderly no matter how "bright" 
he may be in some particulars. 

Such personal habits as favorite amuse- 
ments, church going, and the like also have 
their effect. The pupil is being taught to 
live, and certainly our ability in this re- 
gard is measured by what we do with 
others and for others. Hence, the social 
habits about which the teacher may prefer 
to say nothing will be among the most 
potent forces for good or ill. In fact, 

82 



PERSONAL INFLUENCE 

the teacher who cannot be an example in 
social habits is inefficient, no matter what 
other gifts he may possess. 

What makes a personality worth while? 
There are many items which might be sug- 
gested, but the following are among the 
most significant: right motive, sensitiveness, 
cheerfulness, and faithfulness. There is no 
motive power in all the world comparable 
to that of the Christian. There have been 
in history a few great teachers who held 
that doing for others was more important 
for the development of a life than doing 
for self, but the only teacher whose follow- 
ers have made this rule effective to any 
large extent is Jesus Christ. And one of 
the chief reasons is an illustration of this 
particular lesson — the power of personal ex- 
ample. Take out of Christianity the exam- 
ple of Jesus Christ, and it is doubtful if it 
would have any more influence than other 
theories of life which have emanated from 
a study. However, with his example to 
inspire, there is little needed but to make 
it known all over the world, and the peo- 
ple follow. 

Secondly, a personality worth while must 

83 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

be sensitive. The ability to feel is life's 
chief asset for the acquiring of knowledge. 
Two people may walk down the streets of 
a town, and one will see ever so many 
interesting things while another will see 
only dusty roads, hot sidewalks, and tired- 
looking people. The same would be true 
if they were climbing a mountain or walk- 
ing through a field. One would be aware 
of physical discomforts and see unfeelingly 
the most conspicuous sights, while the 
other would revel in a thousand delights. 
The fault, however, may not be with the 
individual so much as with his teachers. 
Perhaps he was never taught to see and 
feel. But we can be certain that those 
who learn from us shall have a better 
chance. We can cultivate an interest in 
all that goes on about us. Surround your- 
self with many interests. The Christian 
Church has the whole world at its doors. 

Another form of sensitiveness is an abil- 
ity to see or feel what is going on in the 
lives of others, commonly called sympathy. 
There can be no effective teaching if we 
are simply interested in what goes on in 
our own mind and are determined to pass 

84 



PERSONAL INFLUENCE 

this on. As in the case of a gardener, we 
must see to it that this fits with what is 
going on in the pupil's mind. 

A group of boys once took advantage of 
a teacher's rule. It enabled them to miss 
an hour of study, but when at last the 
teacher gave them the signal to come in, 
every boy knew that there would be some- 
thing to pay. After school the group filed 
into the teacher's office, wondering what 
would be the punishment. To their sur- 
prise, his greeting was friendly, and he 
said: "Boys, I want to tell you a story. 
There was once an old man who had a 
great reputation for learning. But he was 
an odd fellow and often sat in a tub out 
on the street. One day the king passed 
by this scholar, Diogenes, and said, 'My 
friend, what can I do for you?' Diogenes 
glowered at him and said, 'Sire, get out of 
my sunlight.' I am interested in you, but, 
after all, it does not matter so much to 
me as it does to you whether you improve 
your time at school or not. Don't ever 
let anybody stand in your sunlight. Don't 
ever stand in your own light. You will 
need it some day. You are excused." The 

85 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

boys had gone into that office feeling like 
heroes and ready to be "martyrs"; they 
came out with heads down but with a 
new respect for their teacher and a lesson 
well learned. Their teacher had sensed 
their feeling and met it in a way least 
expected but in the most wholesome way 
possible. 

Cheerfulness is a tremendous asset either 
in games or in business or in a schoolroom, 
and, unless prevented by ill health, it is 
largely a matter of habit. In fact, many 
of the most notable sufferers have been 
the most cheerful spirits in their com- 
munity. 

As for their faithfulness, it is doubtful 
whether this is one virtue or the sum 
total of virtues. Certainly, it cannot stand 
alone in a life, for it depends upon others, 
but every teacher can so train himself 
that his class, and his friends, know that 
he will be loyal to any task undertaken. 

Are all of the qualities above named 
sufficient to make a great Christian per- 
sonality? No, they should be cultivated 
by any teacher of high ideals whether Chris- 
tian or not. 

86 



PERSONAL INFLUENCE 

When we consider, however, that Jesus 
himself was preeminently a teacher, we 
know that one cannot have high teaching 
ideals and be far from the Kingdom. The 
very act of teaching calls not so much for 
the imparting of instruction as it does for 
the sharing of life. The teacher must give 
his life for the pupil's life daily in order 
to do the work which he has undertaken. 
Add to these Christlike ideals a love for 
our Lord himself, a passion to lead others 
to the highest attainments of life through 
fellowship with God and service to men, 
and we will have a Christian teacher of 
the finest type. 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

"If every Christian were just like me, 
what kind of a place would this world be?" 

Where is the greatest weakness in my 
example? What are its most helpful qual- 
ities? 

Describe the most helpful teacher you 
ever had. 



87 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. The power of example illustrated. 
II. Factors in an exemplary teacher. 

1. Right bearing or disposition to- 

ward problems. 

2. Personal cleanliness and neatness 

of dress. 
Beauty so far as possible. 

3. Well modulated voice. 

4. Wholesome favorite amusements. 

5. A personality worth while. 

III. Factors in the cultivation of real 

Christian personality. 

1. The Christian motive. 

2. Sensitiveness. 

(1) To nature. 

(2) To people. 

3. Cheerfulness. 

4. Faithfulness. 

IV. The teacher's inspiration in the exam- 

ple of Christ. 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

Unconscious Tuition — Huntington. 
First Standard Manual of Teacher Train- 
ing — Barclay. 
The Pupil and the Teacher — Weigle. 
Living Teachers — Slattery. 
The Learning Process — Colvin. 

88 



CHAPTER VIII 
IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is 
it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a 
Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Sa- 
maritans.) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou 
knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, 
Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and 
he would have given thee living water. The woman saith 
unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the 
well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water? Art 
thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, 
and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle? 
Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh 
of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of 
the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the 
water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of 
water springing up unto eternal life. The woman saith 
unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither 
come all the way hither to draw. — John k* 9-15. 

Everyone knows that a large part in 
the nurture of a life is the feeding of the 
mind. How to do this is the task of the 
present lesson. The thinking world has 
passed by the notion that there are three 
kinds of food — physical, emotional, and in- 
tellectual — which can be given independ- 
ently of each other and thus nourish a life. 
The fact is that in the history of a race 
much of its intellectual life has come from 

89 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

an effort to solve the problem of providing 
for physical needs. Think of the inventions 
which have come through a desire to get 
food or to protect the body from harm. 
Some feel that all the history of the race 
can be explained on this ground, covering 
such steps in human progress as banding 
together of people into tribes, dwelling in 
cities, developing language, and other means 
of communication, and so forth. Most 
of us believe that God made life and that 
he implanted in the human family a germ 
of moral as well as of physical desire, but 
it cannot be denied that much of our 
civilization has come from a desire to im- 
prove the physical side of life. 

In the same way every student knows 
that he has studied many a book because 
his feelings were stirred by it or because 
some one for whom he had a great love 
desired him to study it. So we will keep 
in mind that the gardener or teacher can- 
not nourish the mind without making large 
use of physical and emotional means. Our 
problem, then, is the development of the 
mind by the use of every possible means. 

The mind is nourished by thinking. 

90 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

"What is thinking?" and "How do we 
think?" are fundamental questions for our 
discussion. Professor Dewey, in his book 
entitled How We Think (page 8), says, 
"Thinking for the purpose of this inquiry 
is defined as that operation in which present 
facts suggest other facts (or truths) in 
such a way as to induce belief in the 
latter upon the ground or warrant for the 
former." In another place he says, "Think- 
ing itself remains just what it has been all 
the time: a matter of following up or test- 
ing the conclusions suggested by the facts 
and events of life" (page 66). Thinking 
originates in some problem, whether that 
be a baby's problem of getting food or the 
boy's problem of how many marbles five 
times one penny will buy, or the Bible 
teacher's desire to know what some biblical 
writer means. Three processes are in- 
volved: (1) doubt, (2) a guess or theory 
of belief, and (3) a search for facts to prove 
or disprove the suggested belief. 

If the above is a true definition of think- 
ing, it ought to revolutionize many of 
our teaching methods. It means that no 
boy will really think about the Bible or 

91 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

the Catechism or any thing else unless 
his lessons come in the form of an effort 
to solve for him a real problem. The 
first step for the teacher, then, is to stir 
up a real sense of need in the pupil by 
appealing to what he already knows that 
he needs. For example, you want him 
to think of God as a loving Father. Why 
does he ever think of any kind of a father 
at all? He does not, apparently, while 
his mother is doing everything for him. 
But in time he comes to know that fathers 
are needed to supply food and clothes 
and the house in which he lives. But 
who supplies them to father? His mind 
very readily goes back in search of one 
who made these things possibly not only 
for his but for many fathers, who also 
made the birds and grass and everything 
which his little heart loves. 

The same sense of a problem which he 
wants to solve must be awakened in the 
mind of an older pupil. Why do you want 
him to know about Jesus Christ? Because 
Jesus Christ has something which he needs? 
But the boy or girl will never really think 
about it until the teacher speaks in terms 

92 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

of what Jesus actually does for young 
people their age. 

Why do we have recitations? The word 
itself is unfortunate, for it means to cite 
or tell over again. It comes from a time 
when going over and over an assigned 
lesson was supposed to be the only way 
to learn it. There are still schools which 
follow this method. If you visit some 
Oriental lands, you will see classes seated 
around a teacher all swinging their bodies 
and studying out loud. They are engaged 
in memorizing the lesson. But the Western 
world can furnish plenty of examples where 
the method is very similar, even if the 
noise of studying aloud has been stopped. 
Any teacher who assigns so many pages 
to be studied without showing the pupil 
that in these pages is a real problem of 
his own which this study will help him 
to clear up, is making this same mistake. 

Many Sunday schools using a Uniform 
lesson read it over twice at the Sunday 
service, once in the opening service of 
worship, and again after they go to class. 
It would be proper for them to read it 
over fifteen times if the teacher felt that 

93 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

this was the way to develop the pupils 5 
power to grasp the problem involved. But 
the good teacher will find better ways 
than this of interesting his pupils in the 
facts of a lesson. 

The real purpose of a recitation is to 
develop the pupil's capacity to think and 
to work out in conduct the problems of 
his life. How can we plan a recitation 
which will achieve this aim? Professor 
McMurry 1 suggests four tests by which 
to measure the efficiency of a recitation: 

First, Has a motive for studying this 
particular lesson been developed? 

Second, Is the class being trained to 
make comparison between the facts and 
to weigh values? 

Third, Are they trained to put together 
(or arrange) the facts or ideas of a lesson 
with what they already know? 

Fourth, Does the lesson train them in 
initiative, planning things for themselves? 

These are tests which every Sunday 
school teacher can apply. In the first 
place, each pupil must feel that the lesson 
is to help him solve a problem in his own 

1 Elementary School Standards 

94 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

life. Secondly, all facts in the Bible are 
not of the same worth. When Jesus used 
a parable there was usually just one point 
out of all those set forth to which he de- 
sired his hearers to give special attention. 
The difference between men of power and 
men of weakness is often a difference in 
being able to select the things worth 
while and to concentrate attention upon 
them. 

The third test deals with putting ideas 
together. Every one draws his conclusions 
on the basis of what he has previously 
experienced. Now, the new set of ideas 
received in a lesson must take their place 
in his mind so as to be able to help him 
solve the next problem. For example: A 
small boy woke up crying one night. 
"Mother," he said, "I don't want to go to 
heaven." 

''Why, my dear, what is the matter?" 

" Won't have nothing but river water to 
drink." 

He had recently been fishing with his 
father and had become very thirsty. De- 
spite his thirst his father had refused to 
let him take more than a sip of the dirty 

95 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

river water. He was simply putting his 
information together that night. The river 
of life was the most conspicuous thing of 
which he had heard about heaven, and his 
experience with rivers had made them a real 
hardship to him. Needless to say, as his 
fund of experience broadened he learned 
that "the river of life" was a figure of speech 
and did not refer to any drinking supply. 

"Father," said a small boy, "Gordon 
hasn't any cowcatcher on his face." The 
boy knew engines, or, rather, the con- 
spicuous parts of them, but he did not 
know the names of different kinds of 
beards, so he described his father's chin- 
whiskers in terms of what they looked like 
to him — a cowcatcher. 

The fourth test is one almost universally 
neglected. All learning is primarily for the 
sake of influencing conduct. We learn so 
that w T e may live better. But living is a 
matter of acting, and until the idea is 
tried out in some way it is of little use. 
Each lesson may not lead to action which 
others can see, but the teacher is respon- 
sible for seeing that the pupils are trained 
to act upon the new impulses. This means 

96 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

that the Sunday school teacher should take 
pains to see just what they do on Monday, 
Tuesday, and the other days of the week, 
with the truths he is trying to get into 
their lives. Moreover, the training must 
be in self -direction. Almost anyone can do 
a task under supervision, but most of life's 
thinking and acting must be done under 
the individual's own guidance. Hence the 
importance of training pupils to think and 
act for themselves. 

With these tests in mind, the following 
steps may be taken by the teacher in 
planning and presenting a lesson: 

First, Selection of definite aim. Just 
what is it you desire to accomplish? 

Second, Finding a point of contact, be- 
ginning with some actual problem (interest) 
in the pupil's life. 

Third, Presentation of the material by 
question and answer, by story, by pic- 
tures, sand tables, or whatever means the 
teacher may have available. Here pro- 
vision must be made to have the pupils 
weigh what is being studied, selecting 
points of greatest interest (rather than try- 
ing to get everything) and putting them 

97 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

together with their previous store of knowl- 
edge and experience. 

Fourth, Application. This is inseparably 
interwoven with the presentation, and ap- 
plication to daily conduct will be made 
throughout a lesson. However, a summary 
of the whole is important and in Sunday 
school teaching some suitable act of Chris- 
tian service or modification of habits should 
result. 

What a wonderful change it would make 
in every teacher's work if he would deter- 
mine first of all what he means to accom- 
plish by his class hour and then plan to 
achieve this purpose as carefully as a 
general plans a battle! The immortal 
interests of the pupils are at stake in every 
lesson, and not a minute should be wasted. 
The aim and plan of every lesson should 
be written down in black and white, par- 
ticularly the aim. Then one can put it 
on trial and ask questions of it, such as: 
"Is this the very best possible use of my 
lesson opportunity?" "Have I material 
enough to achieve the aim?" "In just 
what respects will the pupils be wiser and 
stronger if this aim is accomplished?" 

98 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

The second step is often the most diffi- 
cult of all. Here must be determined just 
what questions or story will catch the 
interest of every member of the class and 
make him feel that this lesson is going 
to be tremendously important. As a matter 
of fact, steps tw^o and three belong to- 
gether. If your pupils are young (under 
thirteen), you will probably begin with a 
story; if they are older, you will probably 
begin with a discussion. The success of a 
recitation, like the success of a footrace, 
depends very much upon your start. A 
wise teacher will usually spend more time 
planning his first questions than on any 
other feature. However, it is equally im- 
portant to see that the first impression is 
well followed up. The best tests to apply 
to a question are these: Is it interesting? 
(There is no excuse for a teacher ever 
being uninteresting.) Can the pupil an- 
swer it? Will it help to accomplish the 
lesson aim? Will it lead to other ques- 
tions, suggest other questions to the minds 
of the pupils, or will it tend to stop all 
discussion as "Yes" and "No" answers do? 
If you are dealing with younger children, 

99 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

make a special study of the art of story- 
telling. Briefly, a good story must have 
action, direct speech, must move to a 
climax, and must carry its own point so 
that the teacher does not need to add, 
"Now this is the moral." 

However, in work with all ages a good 
teacher must combine the art of story- 
telling with the art of questioning. The 
success of a lesson is measured by the 
amount of activity one gets out of the 
pupil and not by the amount which the 
teacher puts into the lesson period. Al- 
ways in questioning see that you raise a 
real problem, that whenever possible you 
appeal to the pupils' observation and expe- 
rience for the answer, and that you help 
him to see how one set of facts leads to 
another until the conclusion is reached. 
If a teacher spends the whole period in 
talking, he has no way of judging what 
the pupils actually are thinking about, but 
by leading the pupils to discuss one topic 
after another he can be absolutely certain 
of what they are doing. Nor does this 
method preclude the story or more lengthy 
explanation of some item. These, how- 

100 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

ever, come best in explanation of a problem 
upon which the pupils themselves have 
sought light. 

The fourth step is the most important 
of all. Bulwer Lytton once wrote a novel 
entitled What Will He Do with It? This 
is the question which should ring in the 
ears of a teacher day and night — "What 
will he do with it?" Unfortunately, some 
teachers are careless enough not to take 
care. If the lesson hour passes without 
embarrassment to them, they think it 
a success. The supreme test of the lesson 
hour lies right here. If the pupil did not 
get "it," of what use was the period? If 
it went in one ear and out of the other, 
what was the use? If he memorized the 
ideas but could not use them in his think- 
ing and conduct, what was the value of 
the teacher's work? It is a great respon- 
sibility to teach; but if we apply this test 
always, "What will he do with it?" and put 
our best into his life, there can be no 
doubt but that God will honor the effort. 



101 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

Do I tell a story well? What are the 
strong points and the weaknesses of my 
story-telling? 

Did my pupils feel last Sunday that 
they were discussing a real problem of 
their own lives when the lesson was pre- 
sented? 

Applying Professor McMurry's four 
tests to last Sunday's recitation, in my 
class, to what extent was it a good 
recitation? 

By the same tests, to what extent was 
last week's teacher training recitation a 
good one? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. The mind is nourished by physical, 
emotional, and intellectual means. 
II. How we think. 

1. Thinking originates in a problem 

to be solved. 

2. The processes of solution are: 

(1) Doubt. 

(2) A guess or theory of belief. 

(3) A search for facts to prove 

or disprove the sug- 
gested belief. 

102 



IMPARTING NEW IDEAS 

III. The recitation as an aid to thinking. 

1. Its purpose: to develop the pu- 

pil's capacity to think and 
to work out in conduct the 
problems of his life. 

2. Four tests of the efficiency of a 

recitation. 

3. Four steps in the conduct of a 

recitation. 

IV. The final test, "What will the pupil 

do with his new ideas?" 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

Elementary School Standard — McMurry. 
How to Study and Teaching How to Study 

— McMurry. 
How We Think — Dewey. 
Stories and Story Telling — St. John. 
How to Tell Stories to Children — Bryant. 
The Art of Questioning (A. Flannagan Co., 

Chicago, 15 cents) — Fitch. 
The Art of Questioning (The Pilgrim Press, 

Boston, 3 cents) — Home. 
The Recitation — Betts. 
The Learning Process — Colvin. 
Human Behavior — Bagley and Colvin. 



103 



CHAPTER IX 

EXPRESSION AS A MEANS 
OF GROWTH 

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter 
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of 
my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that 
day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and 
by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many 
mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never 
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, 
and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who 
built his house upon the rock: and the rain descended, and 
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that 
house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 
And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth 
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built 
his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the 
floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; 
and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. 

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, 
the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught 
them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. — 
Matt. 7. 21-29. 

A Korean, so we are told, once walked 
a long distance in order to recite to a 
missionary the Sermon on the Mount, 
which he had memorized. After hearing it 
recited, the missionary said, "That is ex- 
cellent, John, now go out and practice it." 

"O," said the Korean, "that is the only 
way I could learn it. I would read a verse, 

104 



EXPRESSION 

then go out and practice it until in time 
I knew them all." 

Since the purpose of thinking is to in- 
fluence conduct in one form or another, it 
is important that every thought should ex- 
press itself in some suitable action. It is 
true that one may read page after page 
of a book without doing any other no- 
ticeable physical act. Still, unless he is 
mentally weighing the evidence of each 
page, passing judgment on it and seeing 
how it can be related to his former knowl- 
edge and experiences, he might better not 
read at all. And if the book suggests cer- 
tain activities which he ought to perform, 
he will very quickly undermine his power 
to act unless he carries out the verdict 
of his judgment. 

Scientists tell us that our nerves are like 
a network of wires between the sense 
organs, the brain, and the muscles; that 
every stimulus sends a current of energy 
to the brain or some nearer nerve center, 
which in turn sends out the message im- 
mediately to some muscle. The incoming 
message or current of energy may be called 
an impression, the outgoing current is 

105 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

called an expression or reaction. No im- 
pression is complete without some adequate 
expression. Furthermore, we are told that 
when a stimulus has made a certain path- 
way for itself in th<e nervous telephone 
system, the tendency is for the same 
stimulus to send its message ever after 
over the same pathway. 

This means that if a boy hears the ad- 
vice, "Whatever ye would that men should 
do to you, do ye even so to them," and 
says to himself, "Yes, that is interesting," 
but does nothing, the next time the lesson 
comes he will react the same way until 
in time the path becomes so fixed that 
it will be exceedingly difficult for him to 
react in any other way. Suppose he hears 
a lesson taught from the Bible and says, 
"Yes, I must be a better boy," but does 
nothing to carry out the suggestion. Sup- 
pose that the next Sunday he feels the 
same and does nothing. The result is 
certain to be that the oftener the lesson 
is received in this way, the weaker be- 
comes the suggestion and the more cer- 
tain is the result of inaction. 

This is the law of habit, the tendency 

106 



EXPRESSION 

of an incoming current or impression to 
react ever after over the same pathway. 
In time only a violent effort will make a 
new pathway and only the most persistent 
energy will cause the new pathway to be 
taken often enough for the new habit to 
be formed. Nothing is so important in 
training a life as the formation of right 
habits. Professor William James quotes 
the Duke of Wellington as saying, "Habit 
is nine tenths of life," and adds that habit 
is ninety-nine one-hundredths or even nine 
hundred and ninety-nine one-thousandths 
of life. A myriad of habits are formed 
unconsciously. The sight of food when 
we are hungry sends a message to the 
brain, and our hands reach out to take 
the food. We see a street car coming 
close toward us and immediately jump out 
of the way. Some one shouts a warning 
and we stop to listen. Other habits, such 
as study, work, and daily prayer, call for 
conscious effort, but the process of habit 
formation is the same. The stimulus sends 
its message to the brain, the order goes 
to the muscles, "Take and eat," "Jump 
quick," "Stop." If the order says "Do 

107 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

nothing/' another kind of habit is formed. 
We do not jump when a car is at a dis- 
tance. We do not stop when another's 
name is called. 

If the Sunday school teacher wishes 
habits of kindness or of obedience to be 
formed, he must see to it that the sugges- 
tion of kindness, whether given in the 
Bible, or by the teacher, or by the sight 
of some one suffering, is acted upon 
promptly. We cannot teach virtues with- 
out guiding the practice of virtue. If 
we fail to do this, the answer to a chal- 
lenge of suffering or a call for God will 
be, "Do nothing." 

Then there is another aspect to the 
same subject. Every life is developed for 
the sake of fruit of some kind. In human 
life the capacity to produce fruit is nothing 
more or less than ability to do something 
well, commonly called skill. If you wish 
your students to have skill simply in 
memorizing passages of the Scriptures, you 
can succeed by going over and over the 
passages, but if you are concerned to 
develop citizens of the kingdom of God, 
men and women who will go into all the 

108 



EXPRESSION 

world and help to transform it through 
Christ's teachings, there is only one way 
of success — your pupils must be practiced 
in doing among their comrades the things 
which Jesus taught. 

As we have seen so often before, even 
for mental development, physical activity 
is essential. But when we consider that 
physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects 
of life are all for the purpose of developing 
power in conduct here on earth, it is evi- 
dent that the Sunday school cannot per- 
form its task unless it trains the hands 
and feet and every other faculty of the 
Christian. These principles apply to any 
kind of teacher, for they are the laws of 
God. When we search the Gospels we find 
out how clearly Jesus himself perceived 
them. The Teacher who said, "Go ye 
therefore, and make disciples of all the 
nations," knew very well that his religion 
must be a religion of service or it would 
not be true to the laws of life. The child 
must do service for others to develop his 
highest faculties, the adult must stretch 
his powers to the farthest reach of their 
capacity, or they will cease to grow. 

109 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

Time was when the word "missionary" 
was applied solely to that which was done 
for Christ across the ocean in distant 
lands. A better understanding of life and 
of Christ's purposes for life make it clear 
that every deed which carries out the 
Christian ideal is a missionary deed. The 
commission was given because men could 
not do otherwise and live as Christ lived, 
and the commission can be carried out 
just as truly by the child who helps God 
take care of the birds or makes life easier 
for mother or little brother as by the adult 
who transforms an empire by his services. 

The most difficult problem is to find 
out what deeds are proper at each period 
in a growing life. A program which some 
adult organization hands down to little 
children may be altogether un-Christian for 
them because it is unnatural. Enforced 
sacrifice for something which the pupils do 
not understand will be no help to their 
growth. But lessons on giving in terms 
of what the small child knows and can 
give will awaken a true response. 

It was a boy of seven who taught his 
Primary teacher a very valuable lesson one 

no 



EXPRESSION 

day when he said, "Please, Miss Smith, 
let's not always give pennies to these poor 
children. Can't we sometimes give some- 
thing else? Can't we give flowers?" His 
little soul was stretching its wings. Pen- 
nies did not mean much to him, they came 
from his father. But he had some flowers 
of his own to take care of, and to give 
them would mean to give some of his own 
strength. 

Every class in the Sunday school should 
have a program of activities for each year. 
Such a program should cover things to 
be done for the home circle, the church, 
the neighborhood, and distant communities. 
It would not be necessary to have some 
specific item to report as finished each 
week, but it would be helpful to report 
progress on one enterprise or another every 
week. In this way each pupil will know 
that he is practicing constantly the prin- 
ciples which are being studied in his Bible 
and other lesson material. In schools 
where the departments are organized, while 
each class should have its own program 
of activities, this program should be a 
part of the larger program of the depart- 

111 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

ment and certainly a part of the program 
for the whole school. 

There is still another aspect of training 
in expression to be considered. The church 
must do primarily as Jesus Christ did, 
consult the needs of human nature and 
outline a program to meet these needs. 
However, this does not preclude the possi- 
bility of training for definite church ob- 
jectives. If the objectives are true to hu- 
man life, the pupils will be helped by 
being trained for work in such an institu- 
tion as the church. 

Education is for the development of 
power. Then why does the church educate 
its people? To develop power in the work 
which it has closest to its heart. There 
is no sacrifice of human interests asked 
by the church, for it has only one purpose 
— to help mankind achieve "the abundant 
life." However, there are things which it 
feels must be done in bringing about this 
achievement. Among these are the de- 
velopment of skill in public prayer and 
testimony. No church can afford to ne- 
glect this, for prayer develops high ideals 
and brings the soul close to its heavenly 

112 



EXPRESSION 

Father, while testimony explains to others 
a power which they may see at work but 
may not know how to grasp. If a Sunday 
school class or department has its own 
space in a private room or set off by a 
curtain, there is no obstacle to training 
in prayer at the Sunday school hour. If 
this is impossible, the training may be 
done at a week-night prayer meeting of 
the class, while every teacher may also 
avail himself of such meetings as that of 
the Epworth League and the weekly prayer 
meeting. The important thing is for the 
teacher to see that the training is carefully 
done. 

But the church requires more than abil- 
ity in public prayer and testimony to do 
its work. More and more it is requiring 
officers who are specialists in their several 
lines of activity. Relief, recreation, teach- 
ing, administration — all of these are di- 
rected by specialists in business and philan- 
thropic institutions outside the church. 
The church cannot afford to do a poorer 
quality of work than they. Nor can it 
claim that divine power will make up for 
its defective workmanship. Divine love 

113 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

gave Christians talents to develop for the 
service of humanity, and the person who 
teaches religion is just as much obligated 
to develop his God-given talents for teach- 
ing as the person who teaches arithmetic. 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What have my pupils actually done during 
the last year as the result of my teaching? 
What service are they doing better to-day 
than a year ago? 

Is it true that there is no impression 
upon a life without some definite expression? 

What kind of Christlike habits are my 
boys and girls forming? 

What would be a good program of ex- 
pression for my class? For our department? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

L We learn best by doing, by using 

ideas. 
II. The formation of habits. 

1. The law of habit. 

2. The importance of forming right 

habits. 

3. How the Sunday school teacher 

may aid in the forming of 
right habits. 

114 



EXPRESSION 

III. The development of skill. 

1. Essential to everyday life. 

2. Essential to the spread of Chris- 

tianity. 

3. How skill in prayer and various 

forms of Christian service 
may be developed by the 
Sunday school teacher. 

(1) Let each class have a pro- 

gram of service suited 
to its age. 

(2) Let each class give train- 

ing in prayer. 

(3) Let the older classes train 

definitely for various 
forms of service such 
as relief, recreation, 
teaching, administra- 
tion, etc. 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

Graded Social Service for the Sunday School 

— Hutchins. 
Missionary Methods for Sunday School 

Workers — Trull. 
Psychology (Briefer Course) — James. 
Talks to Teachers — James. 
The Learning Process — Colvin. 
Mind in the Making— Swift. 
Elements of Psychology — Thorndike. 
Principles of Teaching— Thorndike. 

115 



CHAPTER X 

THE RECOGNITION OF NATURAL 
GROUPS 

I write unto you, my little children, because your sins 
are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, 
fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. 
I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome 
the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, be- 
cause ye know the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, 
because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have 
written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and 
the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome 
the evil one. Love not the world, neither the things that 
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of 
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the 
lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory 
of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the 
world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth 
the will of God abideth for ever.— 1 John 2. 12-17. 

The school exists for the pupil. It is 
strange that anyone should ever lose sight 
of this fact, and yet it is the exception 
rather than the rule to find a school where 
the pupil is actually put first and every 
plan is laid out from this standpoint. 
Measuring the ideals of a school by what 

116 



NATURAL GROUPS 

actually takes place in its sessions, it would 
seem as if some schools exist for the good 
of the superintendent, that is, the items of 
the program all seem to be planned con- 
sciously or unconsciously to give him in- 
spiration. There is no objection to a 
superintendent's getting pleasure out of 
his work. Something is radically wrong 
with the superintendent who is not spirit- 
ually repaid for all the time he invests 
in this organization. But something is also 
wrong when the interests of the pupils are 
sacrificed to please the whims or fancies 
of its general director. Have you ever 
seen this done? If so, describe the par- 
ticulars. 

Nor does the school exist for the teacher, 
though actual practice would seem to indi- 
cate that it does very frequently. We 
were looking over a city Sunday school in 
session one day when the superintendent 
complained of the need of teachers. At 
once the writer began to look for the avail- 
able material which the school had at hand. 

"What is the matter with the class in 
that private room?" he asked. "They look 
like good material for teachers." 

117 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

"0, we couldn't touch them. Their 
teacher says, T built up this class by hard 
work, and no one is going to take away any 
of my pupils/ Now, it is probable that 
this man once took up the class unselfishly 
for the good he could do its members and 
the whole school. But the evidence indi- 
cated that he had some time ago forgotten 
this unselfish motive and was holding all 
he could for the pleasure they would give 
him. Nor is he the only teacher who 
unconsciously has fallen into this habit. 
Men and women all over the country are 
holding their pupils tenaciously for reasons 
which would not bear close Christian scru- 
tiny. The effectiveness of our Lord's 
teaching is to be measured by the number 
who went forth to carry out his commis- 
sion, not by the number who sat at his 
feet and listened, and the effectiveness of 
any teacher will be measured the same way. 

On another occasion we were planning 
for the better housing of the school in a 
new building soon to be dedicated. The 
writer was pleading for an arrangement 
that would permit the development of a 
Junior Department. The period of life 

118 



NATURAL GROUPS 

when children most readily attend Sunday 
school was the period over which this 
church was exerting comparatively little 
influence, "0," said the pastor, "we could 
not give them a separate opening and 
closing service, it would break up the 
rest of the school. We need them to do 
the singing." "He might have alleged other 
reasons against the proposition which would 
have shown a concern for the needs of the 
Juniors themselves, but in this case he 
did not. They were to be deprived of 
better facilities because the older pupils 
needed them for a choir. Now, as a matter 
of fact, the older pupils were numerous 
enough and able-bodied enough to do their 
own singing and do it well. It is one of 
the hardest of tasks to get a local Sunday 
school board to determine its plans on the 
basis of the particular needs of the various 
groups of pupils. And yet, as we have 
seen before, the gardener might just as 
well save his energy as to try to grow 
plants by giving them what he wants in- 
stead of what he knows they need and 
will use. 

When we ask Mr. Jones to send his 

119 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

boy to our Sunday school we practically 
pledge ourselves to do our very best by 
that boy; to give him the best possible 
associations, the best possible lesson ma- 
terial, the best activities for expression 
within the range of his ability. "O," says 
an inquirer, "but the school has two 
hundred boys and girls. Certainly you 
wouldn't urge that everything be done for 
Jones's boy, regardless of the others whose 
interests may conflict with his?" Certainly 
not. The fact is that we cannot do all 
that we would like to do for each par- 
ticular boy. We have not teachers enough. 
There are many other obstacles as well. 
In such a case there is only one thing to 
do — recognize wherein the boy's interests 
must be sacrificed, reduce these particulars 
to a minimum, and plan to remedy the 
remaining defects as soon as possible. For 
example, recognize the need of Juniors for 
an opening service of worship suited es- 
pecially to their age. If the Juniors can- 
not be given a separate room, use curtains. 
Then they can sing if necessary with the 
older members, but conduct their service 
of prayer, Scripture reading, giving, and 

120 



NATURAL GROUPS 

any special features by themselves. In the 
same way, if a class cannot have a sepa- 
rate room, give them a screen or curtain, 
and if possible a table. 

While it is not possible for anyone but 
the teacher to make a separate case of 
each boy or girl, it is possible for the whole 
school to make a special case out of each 
age group. If the best we can do is to find 
two teachers, then make the best possible 
division of the pupils between these two. 
If there are three or four or six teachers, 
make the best possible groups about these 
also. Most of our schools suffer for lack 
of enough teachers, but many are not 
using wisely the material for groups which 
they already have. Sue is in Alice's class 
because Alice brought her, though there 
may be two or three years of difference in 
their ages and public school grades. Or, 
Miss Smith teaches Class No. 4 because 
she happened to move into the neighbor- 
hood when Mrs. Jones moved away while, 
as a matter of fact, she ought to teach an 
older group. 

If the Sunday school is expected to be a 
preaching service where a large congrega- 

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PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

tion is desired, these matters are not so 
important, but where it is planned as a 
real school its efficiency will be measured 
not by numbers but by the actual power 
generated in the lives of the pupils, by 
what they are able to do. This calls for 
team work, for boys and girls as near the 
same age and public school grade as possi- 
ble, grouped in their classes around a 
teacher who knows what is going on every 
day in their lives and what they need. 
Many schools would show remarkable im- 
provement within the next few months if 
they would appoint a committee to look 
over the whole situation and see that each 
pupil and teacher is in the group best 
suited to his talents. Then the school 
should make this good work permanent by 
naming an officer (enrollment secretary, 
director of grading, whichever he may be 
called) to see that these items are kept 
clearly in mind in the case of every new 
pupil and new teacher. 

While the class is the unit of the school, 
and should receive first attention, there 
are some items of training which can be 
done best in larger groups. A service of 

122 



NATURAL GROUPS 

worship to be inspiring usually requires the 
presence of a considerable number. It 
would be hard for one small class to get 
inspiration out of singing and out of a 
special service of giving. Our children and 
young people need training in how to 
participate in a common service of worship. 
They need to learn how to make each 
song express their own thoughts, how to 
pray in thought with each public prayer. 
The class is the best unit for instruction, it 
is also, next to the family altar, the best 
place to learn how to pray out loud before 
others; but the department offers the best 
training in how to worship wdth others. 

Again, some forms of social activity, both 
recreational and benevolent, require the 
larger group. Many objections to "break- 
ing up a class" which is too large for care- 
ful instruction would be removed speedily 
if these members knew that they could 
still have some of their socials, their 
athletic teams, and other activities in 
common. Small classes for instruction and 
larger groups within given age periods for 
worship and social service should be the 
ideal of a school. 

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PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

The departments or larger groups com- 
monly recommended are as follows: 





TEARS 


Cradle Roll 


3 


Beginners 


4- 5 


Primary 


6- 8 


Junior 


9-12 


Intermediate 


13-16 


Senior 


17-20 


Adult 


20- 



Where the school is very small the first 
two or even three may be combined and 
called Elementary. The Junior should be 
separate if at all possible. The Inter- 
mediate and Senior may be combined and 
called Teen Age. The Adult will include 
the Home Department for those adults 
who cannot attend the sessions at the 
Sunday school hour. 

It is generally conceded that all children 
under nine years of age should have a 
separate departmental organization of their 
own with every feature of the Sunday 
school hour planned to mee% their own 
needs. Where the schools are large enough 
three distinct departments are usually 
formed — Cradle Roll, Beginners, and Pri- 
mary. But it is hard to convince some 

124 



NATURAL GROUPS 

officers that the older age-groups have just 
as serious, peculiar needs as the younger 
ones. And the results generally show the 
effect of thus ignoring the divine law of 
human growth. Very frequently to-day one 
can find schools with more adults than 
children nine to twelve years old. That 
is amazing, for nine to twelve is the period 
when children most readily come to Sun- 
day school. But the reason is not hard 
to find. Such a school is usually making 
better provision for adult needs than for 
the children. Try it out for yourself the 
next time you meet such a situation. See 
whether the songs are such as express the 
sentiments of a Junior or whether the 
prayers voice his aspirations or the speeches 
from the platform bespeak his language. 
Sometimes we even find the best rooms given 
to adults, although adults have greater 
powers of concentration than children. 

One day a visitor was observing a school 
where there were two divisions for the 
opening and closing service. He visited the 
Elementary Division and heard the little 
folks singing, "When I lie awake at night, 
God sees/' It was just what a little child 

125 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

would think about. Upstairs, where Juniors 
met with Adults, they opened by singing 
"O be ye reconciled to God. 55 The visitor 
prayed and tried to ignore the older ones 
and lead the younger pupils in prayer, but 
when he finished, the hymn announced 
was "I shall dwell forever there." Both 
were good hymns in their place, but not 
expressive of a Junior's thought or feeling. 

"Who is that man speaking to?" said a 
visitor as he joined in the service of a 
large school all assembled together. 

Why," said the assistant superintendent, 
he is speaking to the older ones, isn't he?" 
Yes, look at the children and you can 
tell that." 

The one sufficient reason for separate 
departments with regular separate opening 
and closing departmental services is because 
the children and young people need them 
for training in worship. On special occa- 
sions the whole school can assemble to- 
gether with profit. 

The organization of such departments 
need not be elaborate. The superintend- 
ents and teachers are the only officers 
necessary, though such helpers as pianist, 

126 



a 
a 



NATURAL GROUPS 

librarian, secretary, and others will be de- 
sired in a large school. From the Junior 
Department up, there should be pupil 
officers and committees as well as the 
superintendent and teachers. The Juniors 
themselves may take responsibility for get- 
ting new members, and for planning rec- 
reational and service activities, but their 
organization should be grouped around the 
adults in their department. 

In the Teen Age, however, the superin- 
tendent and teachers should do as much 
of their work as possible through the pupils. 
These young people need practice in taking 
responsibility if they are ever to become 
efficient officers in the church. Pupil offi- 
cers acting with an adult counselor should 
have charge of the activities of the depart- 
ment, looking to the teachers and adult 
counselor, however, for advice. 

The principles of organization for the 
adult department are usually well known. 

But suppose the school is small, or has 
only one room. Even then it is possible 
to have departmental superintendents and 
departmental activities. They can all plan 
their week-day activities without difficulty 

127 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

while by means of curtains some, if not all, 
can be given privacy on Sunday. As we 
have said before, this departmental organ- 
ization will solve many a problem where 
the class is too large for good study work. 
Let the larger group break up for special 
study, some in teacher training courses, 
some in others, but let them be held to- 
gether by departmental officers planning 
socials and other useful activities. 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

Why am I an officer or teacher? Do I 
always put the needs of the pupils first, 
or sometimes my own desires? 

What things could our Juniors do better, 
if they had a separate organization and 
service of their own, than if they met 
regularly with the whole school? 

Same question for the Teen Age pupils. 

What difficulties would need to be over- 
come before regrading (or regrouping) our 
school this year? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. The Sunday school exists for the 
pupil. 

128 



NATURAL GROUPS 

1. Examples of violations of this 

principle. 

2. The school's moral obligation to 

a parent. 
II. How to meet the needs of each pupil. 

1. Form the best possible classes 

and assign to each a suitable 
teacher. 

2. Combine the classes within cer- 

tain age-periods into depart- 
ments for worship, service, 
and recreational activities. 

3. A description of the officers 

needed for such departments 
and their duties. 

4. How to conduct departments in 

a one-room school. 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Graded Sunday School in Principle 

and Practice — Meyer. 
The Church School — Athearn. 
Efficiency in the Sunday School — Cope. 
The Worker and His Work Series (The 

Methodist Book Concern). 
Social Education — Scott. 
How to Run a Little Sunday School — 

Fergusson. 



129 



CHAPTER XI 
LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 



For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, 
ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments 
of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become 
such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every 
one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the 
word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But solid food is 
for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have 
their senses exercised to discern good and evil. — Heb. 5. 12-1^. 



"Mr. Smith, if we cannot do better 
work in our Sunday school than we are 
doing now, I must resign. " 

It took the pastor by surprise. He 
looked at his superintendent earnestly, and 
said, "What do you mean?" 

His Sunday school was a good school 
according to the usual standards. The 
superintendent had taught in public school 
before he went into business, he was faith- 
ful and interesting, his discipline was good. 
His teachers also were as good, if not better, 
than the average and loyal to their work. 

"Why should you wish to resign?" 

"I'll tell you. I've been superintendent 

130 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

now for several years, and I cannot see 
that my boys or girls know any more about 
the Bible now than they did three years 
ago. If we cannot do something better, I 
must resign." 

That interview sent the pastor into the 
serious study of Sunday school problems. 
His answer was, "My friend, I am in no 
mood to take issue with you, but hold 
steady and we will see if there is not a 
better way." 

The superintendent did hold steady, and 
in a short time some of the classes were 
using special lessons chosen particularly 
to meet their needs. (The International 
Graded Series had not yet been authorized.) 

This is not an isolated experience. Per- 
haps few pastors were ever so rudely shaken 
out of their complacency as this one, but 
for years a growing number of teachers, 
superintendents, and pastors felt that they 
simply were not developing the kind of 
power they were after with a uniform Sun- 
day school lesson for all ages in the school. 
The International Graded Lessons came as 
a result of these experiences. There is no 
reason why a Uniform lesson should de- 

131 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

velop power in all ages on a given day. 
If all the lessons were such that little chil- 
dren and old people both could understand 
them, that would be no proof that they 
would stimulate the growth of both at a 
given time. Water and sunlight are both 
nourishing, but a full-grown stalk of corn 
can stand more water than a tender sprout. 
But the fact is that with a Uniform lesson 
plan governing the Sunday school only a 
very limited amount of the biblical material 
can be studied, or else many of the lessons 
are going to be utterly beyond the grasp 
of the young. 

"There isn't a single passage in the Bible 
which hasn't spiritual benefit for every man, 
woman, or child," says some one. Do you 
believe it? Turn to Genesis 10 and tell 
the spiritual benefit which a six-year-old will 
derive from j it. And yet there are most 
interesting stories connected with every one 
of those names for the adult student who 
knows enough about the early movements 
of races in Bible lands to understand them. 
The spiritual value is entirely a matter of 
whether the reader has developed the facili- 
ties which can use this kind of information. 

132 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

Go back in your memory and say how 
much benefit you ever received in your 
childhood from the Epistle to the Romans, 
or some of the other epistles of Paul. The 
fault was neither in you nor in the epistles. 
You simply did not have the experiences 
which would enable you to understand 
them. If an adult, you may know whether 
the Psalter is your favorite book next to 
the Gospels, but most people come to an 
appreciation of the greater part of this 
ancient hymn book after reaching maturity. 

An inquirer not long ago wrote to one 
of the Sunday school offices in some such 
fashion as this: "I believe that the Sunday 
school should have unity like one great 
family, and therefore I feel that every 
pupil ought to be studying the same lesson 
on a given Sunday/' 

The answer sent was: "Brother, I agree 
with you that there should be family unity 
in the Sunday school, but family unity is 
a deeper thing than uniformity. Family 
unity means a common purpose, all the 
members working together to achieve a 
common goal. When you can show me 
the family in which the six-year-old boy 

133 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

and the thirteen-year-old boy and the 
forty-year-old father are all studying the 
same arithmetic lesson, I may be glad to 
revise my notions. But if the study of 
numbers for the six-year-old and fractions 
for the thirteen-year-old, and business prin- 
ciples for the father will help each to take 
his place in the world better than if they 
studied the same lesson, I believe that 
this will produce better family unity than 
the other method." 

The only way to get the best results 
from lesson material is, first to study the 
group which is to receive the lesson, and 
then give the very best lesson which can 
be grasped by the group and which will 
prepare them for the desired goal. Sup- 
pose the goal be the memorizing of biblical 
facts. Everyone knows that we memorize 
best the verses which interest us. But 
suppose the goal is a daily use of the Bible 
message in one's life. It is out of the 
question to cultivate such use with any 
material that is not close to the every- 
day facts of experience in the life of the 
pupil. 

Whether the teacher selects one series 

134 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

of graded lessons or another is compar- 
atively unimportant. The main thing is 
that he select something especially to meet 
the definite needs of his particular group. 

If you have children four to five years 
of age, what kind of material from the 
Bible would you select? Stories preem- 
inently, and stories which can be inter- 
preted in terms of what the child has seen. 
If you have pupils nine to twelve, you can 
select a much wider range of material. In 
fact, the whole record of the Bible can be 
used if brought out in interesting story 
form. The Juniors are studying geography 
and history in public school, so you can 
give them stories consecutively, and ex- 
pect these pupils to remember them so. 

What differences are there between this 
period and the one which follows? One is 
feeling for others, and another is an increas- 
ing effort to form ideals. The facts of the 
Bible can be memorized in the preceding 
period, but here the big question is one 
of motive. Would it not be wise to take 
heroes and set forth their deeds so thrill- 
ingly that the boy or girl will say, "I'm 
going to be like that man"? This is pre- 

135 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

cisely the method of the International 
Graded Lessons with its climax on the 
life of Christ at fifteen years of age. Other 
graded series follow the same general 
principles. 

As we have seen before, there are two 
considerations to be kept in mind; first, to 
see that every lesson appeals to the in- 
stincts of the growing life; secondly, that 
the lessons include enough material to train 
the life for its daily tasks. This is the 
reason why church history, temperance, and 
other religious information is imparted. 
The Bible is a record of men and women 
working out their problems in everyday 
life by the help of God. The people of 
Israel when they heard the Word of God 
from the prophets heard it in terms of 
their present sins, their duties, and the 
means by which they were expected to 
achieve. Our boys and girls should know 
the Word of God at least as well as the 
old Hebrews did. If so, they also must 
learn something about the great social 
problems around them and the agencies 
of the church through which they may 
achieve victory. The boy who studies the 

136 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

life of Christ, and then follows Livingstone 
in thought through the heart of Africa, or 
the Earl of Shaftesbury in London, will know 
more about what a man can do to-day with 
Christ in his heart than if he had simply 
heard the story of long ago. He will also 
know that the same example which inspired 
Peter and Paul to heroic deeds has been at 
work all through the ages inspiring and guid- 
ing lives. The business of the Sunday school, 
as we have so often said, is to develop Chris- 
tian power of fruitfulness. The Bible is our 
main book of revelation, but in order to 
get our boys and girls to know how the 
Bible is to be used to-day, they must 
study how others since Bible times have 
used it and something about the present 
opportunities and tools for service. 

But suppose the school is small and 
cannot use a complete course of graded 
lessons such as the International Graded 
system in its entirety? It can use just as 
many courses as there are distinct age- 
groups. Every school has some pupils 
under nine years. If there are only four 
or five under nine give them to begin with, 
the First Year Primary. Then every school 

137 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

has pupils nine to thirteen. By all means 
they ought to have a series of lessons 
especially adapted to their needs. The 
First Year Junior is a good beginning 
course even for pupils over nine. But the 
most difficult period of all is the period of 
youth. Here ideals are determined, life- 
work often selected. Is there any excuse 
for shutting our eyes and giving these boys 
and girls the teachers who are left and the 
cheapest or easiest lesson material avail- 
able. Right here the church will either 
lose most of them or win them for life. 
Here, above all others, is the place where 
lessons should be selected with the utmost 
care. After making the best possible groups, 
if the majority of the class are between 
thirteen and fifteen, give them the First 
Year Intermediate Graded Course, "Lead- 
ers of Israel." If the majority are fifteen 
and a few sixteen, give the Third Year 
Intermediate Graded Course, "The Life of 
the Man, Christ Jesus." If the majority 
are sixteen or a little over, begin with the 
Fourth Year Intermediate Graded Course, 
"Studies in Christian Living," or the First 
Year Senior, "The World a Field for 

138 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

Christian Service/' If in doubt concerning 
the best courses to adopt for a beginning, 
write to your denominational Sunday school 
office. 

When we come to the adults the danger 
period seems to be passed, and yet every- 
one knows that in this life danger is never 
passed. The peril of adult church members 
is very real, for while not many leave the 
church, a great number do nothing for it. 
Courses which set before them definite 
tasks and guidance in the performance of 
such will be found the most useful. How- 
ever, the time-honored Uniform lesson has 
always been better adapted to adults than 
to any other age-groups, and in many 
cases this material can be used with great 
profit. 

Two objections have commonly been 
raised against the present systems of Graded 
Lessons: first, that they displace the Bible 
from its preeminence in Sunday school 
study; second, that they are harder to 
teach than the Uniform — in fact, that 
teachers who are competent to teach 
them cannot be secured. The first objec- 
tion must fall before any study of the 

139 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

actual contents of these lessons. They 
cover more of the Bible than a uniform 
cycle of lessons ever could cover. Where 
only lessons which are possible of applica- 
tion to all ages are selected, some sections 
of the Bible must necessarily be omitted. 
For example, the books of prophecy and 
the epistles are not good material for 
young children, and very important sec- 
tions of these books have never been pre- 
sented in the International Uniform Les- 
sons. Large sections of Job, Psalms, 
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and other books 
have also been omitted. 

But even if all the material were in- 
cluded in a uniform cycle of lessons, the 
advantage would lie with the Graded Les- 
sons, because here each section of the Bible 
is presented at that time in life when it 
is most interesting to the pupil, selected 
because it will give him precisely the 
help which he needs for his everyday 
problems. 

A mother once said in an institute: "My 
daughter has had the first two years of 
the Junior Graded Lessons. I have been 
in Sunday school all my life, and have 

140 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

taught since I was seventeen, but I am 
compelled to say that as a result of her 
two years of Junior Lessons, my daughter 
knows more about the actual contents of 
the Bible to-day than her mother knows. " 
Such testimonies could be multiplied many 
times. 

All Sunday school people are agreed that 
the Bible is the preeminent textbook for 
our study of religion, and all desire to have 
the Bible become the guide of every pupil. 
Any difference of opinion which exists is 
a difference concerning method. Those 
who favor Graded Lessons insist that their 
own experience and observation proves that 
this is the surest way to get the Bible 
into the mind and conduct of the pupil, 
because this guarantees to him Sunday 
after Sundav a lesson which he can under- 
stand and which will help him to live 
better during the days that follow. 

The second objection is easily answered. 
The Graded Lessons are easier to teach 
well than the Uniform, for the teacher has 
the advantage of lesson material selected 
especially because it will interest his pupils. 
Graded Lessons cannot be taught accept- 

141 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

ably after hurried, careless study, but they 
will yield rich returns to the teacher who 
makes faithful preparation for each Sun- 
day's work. 



QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What are all the reasons that I can think 
of against selecting Sunday school lesson 
material for the express purpose of supply- 
ing the needs of each age-group? What 
are the reasons in favor of it? Which 
method will cover more of the Bible? 
Aside from the question of extent in Bible 
study, which will enable the teacher to 
teach more effectively? 

What subjects can I think of outside 
the Bible which a Christian ought to 
know in order to do his work for God and 
humanity? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. Graded Lessons the result of a uni- 
versally felt need. 
Born out of the experience of years, 
on the part of many Sunday 
school workers. 

142 



LESSONS FOR AGE GROUPS 

II. The selection of suitable lesson ma- 
terials should be determined by: 

1. The goal of Sunday school effort. 

2. The instincts and interests of 

each age-group. 

3. The range of material necessary 

to enable a life to apply the 
Bible to everyday problems. 
III. Two objections to the Graded Lessons 
answered. 



BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Graded Sunday School in Principle 
and Practice — Meyer. 

The Church School — Athearn. 

The Introduction and Use of the Graded 
Lessons — Meyer. 

Introduction and Use of the Graded Les- 
sons, Primary Manual — Thomas. 

Introduction and Use of the Graded Les- 
sons, Junior Manual — Baldwin. 



143 



CHAPTER XH 

THE CHURCH AND THE 
SUNDAY SCHOOL 

Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the 
ordinances, which Jehovah your God commanded to teach 
you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over 
to possess it; that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, 
to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I 
command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all 
the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may 
be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as 
Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee, 
in a land flowing with milk and honey. 

Hear, O Israel; Jehovah our God is one Jehovah: and 
thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, 
which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; 
and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, 
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and 
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, 
and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for 
a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets be- 
tween thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the 
door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. — Deut. 6. 1-9. 

Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace 
that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which thou hast 
heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit 
thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 
— 2 Tim. 2. 1, 2. 

The Sunday school is the supreme teach- 
ing agency of the church. It is not a sep- 
arate institution, it is simply the church 
at school. Nor is it the only place where 

144 



CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

the church goes into training. The pulpit 
gives instruction, the Epworth League and 
Women's Missionary Societies develop skill 
for definite tasks among their membership; 
other organizations do the same in par- 
ticular churches. But the Sunday school 
is the one place where every man, woman, 
and child can find a group near his own 
age, studying what Christianity means for 
them now, and organized so as to give each 
learner an opportunity to develop skill 
for some definite task. 

Horace Mann was right when he said, 
" Whatever you wish to have appear in 
the life of the state must first appear in 
the public school." It is equally true to 
say, ''Whatever you wish to have appear 
in the life of the church must first appear 
in the church school." Let other organ- 
izations do all they can to train their 
limited constituencies. Here is an agency 
which reaches all, and has them in small 
groups week after week. If the founda- 
tions are laid here, all the other agencies 
will have something to build upon. On 
the other hand, if we leave all items of 
training to other agencies, the most of our 

145 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

people will never be trained at all. The 
following dialogue took place in a recent 
District Efficiency Conference: 

"My brother, how large is your church 
membership ?" 

"About nine hundred." 

"How large is your Sunday school ?" 

"Eighty who are active/ ' 

"What per cent of your membership are 
actually at work in the church? Are 
seventy-five per cent?" 

"No, hardly." 

"Fifty per cent?" 

"Probably not." 

"As many as twenty-five per cent?" 

"Perhaps." 

But the membership was not altogether 
to blame for this showing. Twenty-five 
per cent was about all the several training 
agencies had actually enlisted, However, 
that pastor could have put every boy and 
girl in training at the Sunday school hour, 
and been reasonably certain that seventy- 
five per cent to ninety per cent of them, 
if they stayed in the community, would 
be doing definite service in the future. 

How can we organize for such an achieve- 

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CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

ment? Everybody knows that success in 
this world is not so much a matter of re- 
source as it is of organization and method. 
We have been discussing at length the 
resources and some of the best methods 
of using them. Now, how can we harness 
the power and produce results? Every 
school should have as a minimum the fol- 
lowing general officers: 

Superintendent. 

Departmental Superintendents (Beginners', Primary, Jun- 
ior, Intermediate, Senior, Adult). 
Director of Teacher Training. 
Director of Service (Missionary Superintendent). 

General Secretary. 

Departmental Secretary, appointed by 
the General Secretary. 

Enrollment Secretary. 

Absentee Secretary. 



Secretary's Staff < 



The duties of these officers are generally 
understood, and yet some are even in 
doubt concerning the duties of the general 
superintendent. Not long ago in a school 
which has been graded only a few years 
the superintendent said, "I'm a man with- 
out a job. Now that these departments 
are all organized, there is nothing for me 
to do." Think of it! A superintendent 
without a job because his departments are 

147 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

organized and working well. That would 
seem to be good evidence that the superin- 
tendent was on his job. What is his job 
anyhow? Suppose he were superintendent 
of a large greenhouse or a big farm. Would 
he be expected to dig around every flower 
that grows, or to see that each department 
has its own workers, and that all of these 
produce results? In the Sunday school, as 
we have seen, the business of the school 
is to develop religious power. This can 
be done by classes and departments more 
effectively than by having one person try 
to do all the work. If these young people 
learn what they ought to know and ac- 
tually develop skill in Christian work, that 
is the highest tribute to the superintend- 
ent's efficiency, whether they ever hear 
him make a speech and teach a lesson or 
not. 

Jesus once told a parable to urge "the 
children of light' ' to use as good business 
sense as "the children of this generation." 
It is one of the hardest parables in the 
Bible to interpret in detail, but its point 
is perfectly clear. Jesus pleads for good 
business sense among his followers. Why 

148 



CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

a good public school superintendent who 
never sees all of his pupils together should 
insist on bringing a Sunday school all to- 
gether for opening and closing "exercises 5 ' is 
more than the writer can fathom. Or why 
a business man who is accustomed to work- 
ing through the heads of departments should 
insist upon seeing every man, woman, and 
child in front of him at Sunday school for 
the sake of "unity" in Sunday school busi- 
ess, is another unfathomable mystery. If 
the truth were known, he has a great deal 
more unity in his business conducted by 
departments than he does in his school 
assembled in a crowd. 

The departmental superintendents are 
officers elected by the local Sunday school 
board and responsible to the general super- 
intendent and board for the work of their 
own departments. Even in a one-room 
school some one should be superintendent 
of all work with children under nine; 
another, superintendent for Juniors, nine 
to twelve; another for the Teen Age, and 
another for Adults. 

A director of teacher training should 
supervise all the teaching, in cooperation, 

149 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

of course, with the heads of the depart- 
ments. He is, in the nature of the case, 
an assistant general superintendent. It is 
his business to see that new teachers come 
to their tasks prepared for this service, 
and that old teachers improve their skill 
week after week. There are three methods 
of training teachers within the reach of 
every school: 

1. A class of young people meeting at 
the Sunday school hour. This may be a 
picked class or some class as already or- 
ganized, but taking a training course as its 
regular lesson. 

2. A class meeting at some time other 
than the Sunday school hour for those 
who are already officers and teachers. 

3. Students taking courses by corre- 
spondence. 

In addition to these methods, he should 
make use of Institutes, Community Train- 
ing Schools, Summer Schools of Methods, 
and such other resources as are available. 

Sometimes the teacher training classes 
which meet on Sunday have their own open- 
ing and closing services. This may be 
desirable if local conditions permit, but in 

150 



CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

no case should the Training Department 
become a rival to the Senior or Adult 
Departments. It is, rather, the business 
of the director to see that these depart- 
ments have training classes. There is no 
limit to the opportunity for recreation and 
service among the training students. 

The director of service is the same officer 
as the one commonly called superintendent 
of missions or president of the Sunday 
School Missionary Society. Whatever his 
title may be, there is no question about 
his duties. All Christian service is mission- 
ary work; it helps to make Christ known 
and loved all over the world. Hence it 
is the duty of this officer to see that every 
class group is doing something for others. 
Naturally, most of this responsibility rests 
with the teacher, but the director can be 
an expert advisor for the teachers and de- 
partmental superintendents, with this one 
very important prerogative — to see that 
the school works as a unit in its service 
output, that it stands for the same prin- 
ciples in all the classes; for, while it is not 
necessary that all give to the same object, 
it is important that each class works in 

151 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

such a way as to be a help to the other 
classes. 

Special missionary programs, the circu- 
lation of a reading library, systematic giv- 
ing by the duplex envelope, and many other 
activities should be urged by this officer. 

The Sunday schools of this country are 
usually slow to appreciate the importance 
of careful records, and yet it is safe to say 
that no school has ever become large which 
did not take particular care of its records. 
The three primary essentials of a good 
school are good grouping, good teaching, 
good records. The booklet entitled The 
Sunday School Secretary, 1 by Ralph E. 
McEntire, will be both an inspiration and 
a guide to anyone in this position. 

In a small school it may seem wise to 
have all the duties of the secretary devolve 
upon one officer; but in a large school a 
secretarial staff is very essential. In addi- 
tion to the general secretary and his de- 
partmental assistants, a secretary of en- 
rollment and a secretary of absentees are 
important. As we have seen before, it is 

i Address, The Board of Sunday Schools, 58 E. Washington St., Chicago. 
Single copies free. 

152 



CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

all wrong for John to go into the same 
class as George because George brought 
him. John's age and public school grade 
should be very carefully considered, to- 
gether with any special circumstances that 
call for attention, before he or any other 
pupil is assigned to a class. If the new 
pupil is brought directly to the teacher or 
departmental superintendent, valuable time 
may be lost; but if the new pupil is sent 
straight to the enrollment secretary, he can 
secure the facts, carefully make a tentative 
assignment to the proper class, and then 
consult the departmental superintendent 
and teacher before a permanent assignment 
is made. A school cannot be too careful to 
see that each boy or girl is in the class where 
he can give and receive the most help, and 
a special officer to look after these interests 
will have a very important function. 

" pupils dropped out of our school in 

one year and we know not where they have 
gone." Such was the report of . 

How many dropped out of your school 
last year, and why? The Sunday school, 
like every other great institution, must 
stop all leakage as far as possible. Every 

153 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

teacher should know by Tuesday or 
Wednesday why any pupils were absent the 
previous Sunday. Many teachers make an 
effort to do so, but human nature being 
as it is, these teachers will work better 
if they know that an officer is checking up 
their work regularly. This officer should 
also devise new plans to make this effort 
on the part of the teacher and class mem- 
bership committees more effective. 

Some time in the future we will have 
system in the finances of our Sunday 
schools. There is no end of opportunity 
for the man who will use his business 
experience to put the local Sunday school 
finances on a sound basis. Those who are 
using the duplex envelope pronounce it a 
great success in increasing the income, as 
well as a success in stimulating habits of 
regular giving. 

The departmental organization has been 
previously described. 

But what about organization in a small 
school? The same functions must be per- 
formed whether the school is small or 
large. If a combination of officers is de- 
sired, the following would be practical: 

154 



CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

General Superintendent. 

Departmental Superintendents (who may also be teachers). 

Director of Teacher Training and 

Director of Service, combined. 

Secretary. 

Treasurer. 

In a one-room school these officers, 
though handicapped by their building fa- 
cilities, have much which they can do. 
All but the general superintendent and 
the secretary may be teachers if they are 
needed also in this capacity, but they can 
still perform the duties as described. The 
director of teacher training and service can 
see that some class of young people study 
a training course at the Sunday school 
hour. He can also do all the other tasks 
previously suggested for teacher training 
and service directors. The departmental 
superintendents can secure privacy for their 
age-groups by means of curtains, can plan 
for training in prayer, for social and other 
activities. The secretary and treasurer can 
avail themselves of the best methods known 
in their fields, and in the absence of a 
staff, can use pupils or teachers as their 
assistants. 

The one thing to keep uppermost in 

155 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

mind is this — a school is measured by its 
output. Whatever forms of organization 
will improve the amount and quality of 
service which the Sunday school is able 
to constitute through the church to the 
world, should be adopted speedily and 
adapted to each local situation. 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What does the Sunday school actually 
contribute to the life of your church? 
What further should it contribute? 

Does your Sunday school have the three 
primary essentials of a good Sunday school 
— good grouping (grading), good teaching, 
good records? If not, w r hy not? 

What further can be done in your school 
to improve the quality of the teaching? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. The Sunday school is the church at 
school. 
II. How to organize the school. 
Officers and their duties. 

III. How to organize a small school. 

IV. The test of organization is the out- 

put in amount and quality of 
Christian service. 

156 



CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Evolution of the Sunday School — 
Cope. 

The Coming Generation — Forbush. 

Education in Religion and Morals — Coe. 

The Graded Sunday School in Principle and 
Practice — Meyer. 

The Church School — Athearn. 

First Standard Manual of Teacher Train- 
ing — Barclay. 

The Church a Community Force — Tippy. 

The Church at Work— White. 

The Training of Sunday School Teachers 
and Officers— McElfresh. 

The Sunday School Secretary — McEntire. 

Missionary Methods for Sunday School 
Workers — Trull. 

Missions in the Sunday School — Hixon. 



157 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE CHALLENGE OF A 
GREAT TASK 

But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the moun- 
tain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw 
him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus 
came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority 
hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye 
therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing 
them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of 
the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things what- 
soever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, 
even unto the end of the world. — Matt. 28. 16-20. 

"Poor fellow, he wanted to do so much, 
and he didn't accomplish anything, did 
he?" said the senator. 

"0, I don't know," replied his secretary, 
"He died. Some of us only live." 

These are the words with which Richard 
Harding Davis closes his story, The Man 
with One Talent, the story of a man who 
had a talent and did not use it despite 
the pleading of a youth whose all was 
being given to a great cause. 

After all, life may be a great thing or it 
may be a very little thing. "Everything 
yields to the law of self-defense," we say. 

158 



CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK 

We expect a man to fight desperately to 
the last ditch just to preserve the spark 
of life that is in him. And yet every one 
knows that there are greater issues at 
stake in God's world than simply keeping 
the breath of life in our bodies. A man 
who escaped from the Iroquois Theater 
fire was being congratulated upon getting 
out with his life. "Don't congratulate me/' 
he said. "I lost my head. I might have 
saved many, I only saved myself." In 
their sanest moments the best people are 
ready to say that Jesus spoke the plain 
truth when he said in substance, "He that 
is careful to protect his life shall lose it, 
but he that will lose his life for my sake 
shall find it." 

What then, makes life worth while? Abil- 
ity to do something. For what other 
reason do we live? Whether one becomes 
a captain of industry, a mother, a doctor, 
or teacher, the chief thrills in life come 
with the joy of doing something. It was 
a grand opera singer who wrote at the 
time of her retirement, "If some kind 
hearts will say, 'That little woman did not 
live in vain,' that will be my reward." 

159 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

Is Sunday school teaching one of those 
tasks worth while? We have already seen 
that the public school cannot train in 
religion. Most of us believe that with 
religion barred it cannot train effectively 
in morals either. The moral education of 
the United States at least rests largely 
with the Sunday school. Is that worth 
while? But, further, we not only want 
good morals, we want morals dominated by 
a love for Jesus Christ. The Sunday 
school is admittedly the greatest evangel- 
istic agency in the church. 

During the last eight years, as the result 
of modern Sunday school methods zeal- 
ously promoted, one denomination alone, 
the Methodist Episcopal, reports an in- 
crease of 1,200,000 Sunday school members 
and the conversion of 1,400,000. This is 
the greatest evangelistic achievement in the 
history of the denomination. These figures 
do not mean that the Sunday school was 
the only factor in these conversions. The 
church brought many agencies to bear upon 
these people to influence decision. But 
after making all due allowance, the Sunday 
school was doubtless the greatest single 

160 



CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK 

human factor in this ingathering. One 
woman said not long ago in an institute: 
"While you are speaking of evangelistic 
results, let me tell my experience. Our 
Junior Department has used the Graded 
Lessons for five years. We have graduated 
four classes. Seventy per cent of last year's 
class (1914) and eighty per cent of the 
one before them joined the church. I have 
been in Sunday school work for years, 
but have never before seen results like 
that/ 5 

But the glory of the Sunday school is 
that it does not stop with the ingathering. 
A revival meeting is over in a few weeks, 
but the Sunday school goes on perpetually. 
The bringing of a pupil to a decision for 
Jesus Christ is only the beginning of the 
Sunday school's task. It takes the boy 
and girl and trains them in the facts of 
the Bible, the history of the church, the 
methods of modern Christian movements, 
and then says, "Now, find your place in 
God's busy world." In fact, it furnishes 
facilities for the pupil to serve his fellows, 
it trains him to go out and bring others 
to Jesus Christ. It would be incomprehen- 

161 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

sible if such an institution was not the 
greatest single evangelistic agency. 

Nurture has its limitations. It cannot 
grow an oak out of a raspberry seed, but 
it can make a better oak or a better rasp- 
berry bush out of the talents which God 
implanted in the seed. The highest suc- 
cess will come only through right motive 
and skill, and both are commonly the 
products of nurture. True, there are cases 
where the Christian motive has been in- 
jected into a life apparently without nur- 
ture, but even in extreme cases such as 
are seen in rescue missions, the converts 
who last are usually those who had the 
seeds of Christian thought implanted in 
their minds as children. 

Who can do it? This is an opportunity 
for any man or woman to covet. Can you 
find another place where so little time 
skillfully used will yield so rich a harvest? 
And yet this time must be invested wisely. 
A skilled workman can do in an hour 
what others could not do in a week. We 
need not pray for unusual gifts in order to 
do this task. Some good people are doubt- 
less incapacitated for work with child- 

162 



CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK 

hood and youth. They may be tempera- 
mentally or physically unfit. But most of 
us could do this work well if we were in 
earnest enough to pay the price of success. 

The word by which our Lord's first 
followers were known characterizes the su- 
preme essential — "learners/ 5 We have al- 
ready seen that learners must have a 
motive, must be competent to weigh values, 
must know how to put together new ideas 
and apply them. But these faculties are 
possessed by the majority of Sunday school 
people. Our business is to follow the ex- 
ample of these first "learners" (disciples). 
They studied the life of Christ, they inter- 
preted their Old Testament in terms of the 
problems immediately before them. They 
brought their perplexing questions to their 
teacher even when a statement of ignorance 
was embarrassing to them. 

How can we follow in their footsteps? 
Those who are not yet engaged in teaching 
have the Sunday school hour to use for 
preparation. Others have Sunday after- 
noons and week-day opportunities for study. 
Or if one cannot be sure of his time, corre- 
spondence courses are adapted precisely to 

163 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

his needs. ''Where there's a will there's 
a way." This Primer has attempted no 
more than to open the door and let the 
student look into the treasury. Within 
are resources of child life which we have 
only glimpsed, principles of teaching barely 
pointed out, and a wealth of stories, ques- 
tions, words of counsel and inspiration in 
the Bible which we have not touched at 
all, to say nothing of great Christian 
biographies and modern social movements. 
You can familiarize yourself with these so 
that you can know just where to lay your 
hand on the principle or fact or message 
needed. You can practice yourself in the 
use of these tools of religious education 
until your service is a blessing to many 
and a joy to yourself. Your skill may be 
dearly bought, but it will be a priceless 
treasure. 

When you wonder what Jesus Christ 
can do with your ordinary talents, turn 
for inspiration to your Bible and your 
history and read what he has done with 
others like you. 

If there was ever an apparent impossi- 
bility in human history, it was the task 

164 



CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK 

which Jesus Christ faced when he began 
teaching on the shores of Galilee. Mili- 
tary power was against him, the learned 
of his own race were his bitterest op- 
ponents. What did he do? He might 
have summoned a legion of angels, but he 
rejected that plan. He might have led a 
physical rebellion and organized armies; 
that also was rejected. He might have 
tried preaching as John the Baptist did, 
but he chose differently. He did preach 
to multitudes often, but he pinned his 
faith to another plan. 

He chose twelve men with only fair 
educational advantages, most of them, but 
good learners; and for three years he gave 
himself up to the task of teaching them. 
The lessons were acquired O so slowly, 
particularly the great truths, but his pa- 
tience or confidence never slackened. He 
taught not merely by example, by story, 
by question and answer, but he also sent 
them out to teach, to heal the sick, and to 
other forms of service. When he was sacri- 
ficed on the cross he had little to show for 
his labor except the record of a perfect life, 
a few warm admirers, and eleven trained 

165 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

men. No human being standing on Cal- 
vary could ever have predicted the future 
of such labor, 

A little later the earthly career was 
ended and the work of his learners was to 
begin. This was his charge: "Go." "Go 
ye therefore, and make disciples of all the 
nations, baptizing them into the name of 
the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy 
Spirit; teaching them to observe all things 
whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I 
am with you always, even unto the end 
of the world." 

In an incredible space of time the Ro- 
man world was won nominally, at least. 
Through the Romans the barbarians were 
reached, and since then the Kingdom has 
grown until practically every land has 
some apostles at work and every apostle 
is a teaching center. The future is in 
the hands of teachers. There never was 
a successful church which was not a great 
teaching agency. Teaching is not the 
church's only function, but whether to a 
congregation or to a class, in home or at 
school, teaching has ever been its greatest 
propagating agency. If you would be the 

166 



CHALLENGE OF A GREAT TASK 

greatest possible factor in the helping of 
lives, be a teacher in some capacity or 
other. If you would share the ideals of 
Jesus, use his methods and know his joys, 
remember that the title which he accepted 
everywhere in Palestine was, "Teacher" 
(Rabbi). 

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION 
AND CLASS DISCUSSION 

What do I want to do with my life? 
How can I tell whether I am successful 
(have "the abundant life") or not? 

What w T ould it cost me to become a 
good Sunday school teacher? Would the 
investment pay? 

How can I put teaching ideals and prin- 
ciples into all my work? 

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. What makes life worth while? 
II. Is Sunday school teaching worth 
while? 

1. Its place in the moral education 

of a people. 

2. Its success as an evangelistic 

agency. 

3. Its larger task to train every 

Christian so that he can 

167 



PRIMER OF TEACHER TRAINING 

win others and take his 
place as a useful citizen in 
the kingdom of God. 
III. Who can do successful Sunday school 
teaching? 

1, The "learners. 55 

2. Those who follow the example 

of Jesus Christ. 



BOOKS FOR REFERENCE 

The Graded Sunday School in Principle 

and Practice— Meyer. 
The Church School — Athearn. 
The Days of His Flesh — Adam Smith. 
The School of the Twelve — Bruce. 
The Churches at Work — White. 
Rising Churches in non-Christian Lands — 

Brown. 
Educational Evangelism — McKinley. 
The Call of the World— Doughty. 



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